Remnants of Hope
by jheyjette
Summary: They've fallen pretty far, but thankfully there's a tiny speck of hope to help bring them back up. Or alternatively, Naegi adopts a bunch of troubled teens. Contains spoilers for Dangan Ronpa and Dangan Ronpa 2.
1. Reawakening

**Chapter 1: Reawakening**

Kazuichi Souda looks around his room uncertainly. He rubs his scarred arms for the umpteenth time that day, fingers feeling restless after not tinkering with any machinery for so long. There's a slow creak followed by soft, light footsteps approaching him.

"Good morning, Souda-kun."

Kazuichi finally turns to face the speaker. Makoto Naegi holds out a tray full of Kazuichi's favorite breakfast foods, and the mechanic tries not think too hard about how Naegi and his friends figured that out (he _does_ know, he just does't enjoy thinking about it). Kazuichi says nothing as he silently takes the food tray. Naegi only smiles back, leading the older boy to wonder if it's genuine or out of politeness.

After finally taking a bite out of his food, Naegi turns to leave.

"Wait."

Naegi halts, turning towards Kazuichi questioningly. It's been weighing on his mind now, and since Kirigiri and Togami (the real one) are both too…he wants to say unapproachable but if Kazuichi were being honest, he'd like to say that the pair kind of scared him. But Naegi was different. He was short and docile-looking, approachable in a way that reminded him a lot of Hinata…

"Can I ask a question?"

Naegi smiled encouragingly, "Sure, what is it?"

"What happened to Hinata?"

Naegi hesitates for a bit before turning to face him fully. Kazuichi braces himself, expecting bad news.

"He's…conscious…But right now, he's still in a dangerous state."

"By dangerous state…Are you taking about that Kamakura guy?"

Naegi nods, face contorted into a concerned frown. "But…We believe that with time, Hinata-kun will eventually regain control over his body."

"Will he really?" Kazuichi asks, eyes trailing sadly over his food. He wants to believe that his soul friend is alright, he really does. But after all that's happened so far…It would probably be best to prepare for the worst. He looks up again, about to tell Naegi that he has no more questions to ask.

And is met with a look filled with determination. Full of belief and…hope.

"Hinata-kun _will_ return. I'm sure of it."

"But how can you be so sure?!" Kazuichi counters, wanting to clutch unto that hope as well, but too scared of the despair that he's come to be too familiar with.. "In that game, we kept thinkin' no one was gonna die again, that there would be no more class trials! We kept gettin' betrayed again and again! So how can you be so sure that Hinata's gonna be fine?! How are you so sure we won't be betrayed again?!"

"Has Hinata-kun ever betrayed you?"

Kazuichi pauses. Yes, he _did_ assume that Hinata was the traitor for a while…But looking back, Hinata was actually the one that always stuck with them, kept the group together during the class trials. Him and Nanami…

"No"; he finally says.

Naegi smiles; "Then what makes you think he'd betray you now?"

"How…How can you be so sure? You don't even know him! Yeah, you and your pals were watchin' us through those surveillance cameras, but that isn't enough to know a person! Not the way _I_ knew him!"

"Exactly", Naegi says simply, "and since you know him so well, then you should know better than anyone that he won't give up to despair so easily. Not this time. Not after all you've been through together."

"That's right! There's no way Hinata would lose so easily to that Kama-whatever! Not after that cool way he saved us all during the last class trial! Yeah! He'll come back, definitely!"

And Kazuichi is smiling now, for the first time in what felt like years. His fists are clenched, his heart thumping excitedly, and he doesn't even care that some of his milk spilled onto his toast.

Naegi simply smiles back before finally turning to leave.

"Yeah, he'll definitely come back. And everyone else too." Kazuichi finally lowers his fists, focus now placed on his tray of food. As he absentmindedly digs into his breakfast, a thought finally catches up to him.

… _What just happened here?_

* * *

Sonia Nevermind stares at the ceiling, trying her best to suppress the information the Future Foundation had just given her regarding her crimes as a remnant of despair. She closes her eyes and clutches tightly to her bed sheets as she feels her regret and guilt build up. A knock from her door finally snaps her out from her depressing thoughts.

"Yes, you may come in."

The door opens to reveal Makoto Naegi, carrying what appears to be her breakfast.

"Good morning, Nevermind-san."

"Ah, Naegi-san. Good morning, and please, call me Sonia."

Naegi-san nods in reply, offering the tray of food to her.

"Oh my, what a delicious looking meal!" She daintily lifts her knife and fork and proceeds to work on her food in a precise manner. As if she's still a princess with a throne to ascend. As if she still has a castle to call home. As if she still has a family to return to.

A hand grips hers, and it's then that she realizes that she'd been shaking. Sonia looks up to see Naegi wearing a gentle smile as he slowly releases her hand and proceeds to quietly clean up the crumbs she made.

"I-I'm terribly sorry for that." She smiles at him again, but Naegi doesn't seem convinced, smile being quickly replaced by a worried frown.

"Sonia-san, if there's anything bothering you at all, please don't hesitate to tell me, or anyone else you feel comfortable talking with."

Sonia shakes her head sadly. "To inconvenience the others like that, when they have so much more to worry about, would be selfish of me."

"And needlessly worrying them would be considered selfless?"

Sonia quickly looks up at him, infuriated with the latter's words. "Of course not! But I do not have the right to unload my problems unto others when there are much bigger issues at hand! My family may be gone, but my friends are still here! At the very least, I must think of them! I can do nothing to erase my past mistakes, but at the very least, I must work hard to ensure a better future for my friends when they awaken!"

Sonia rubs the tears away from her eyes before turning back to Naegi with a look that says, _How do you like me now?_

The younger boy offers her a smile and nods along; "Yes, you're completely right. I suppose I had nothing to worry about after all."

Sonia nods happily, glad that Naegi was able to see head to head with her. Or was the saying "eye to eye"? Satisfied, Sonia proceeds to consume the rest of her breakfast as Naegi quietly slips out of the room. After her third bite, Sonia feels something amiss.

"Naegi-san…Did he?" She doesn't finish the thought, but a warm, grateful smile graces her lips.

* * *

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu scowls at the door as it slowly opens once more. He really didn't have the energy to deal with Kirigiri again, or worse, Togami. His scowl slowly wore off once he noticed that his visitor's shadow was much shorter than the other two's.

"Good morning, Kuzuryuu-kun. Kirigiri-san filled me in on what happened. Um, I think she may have just forgotten that you dislike milk, so please don't stay mad at her."

Fuyuhiko calmed down at the sight of the younger boy. He didn't feel the need to bring up barriers around him. The fact that he was one of the few people he didn't have to crane up his neck to talk to also helped matters.

"It's fine." Fuyuhiko finally said, motioning for the other boy to come closer and give him his food. Naegi happily obliged as a look of relief swept over his face.

 _This kid's too easy to read. He wouldn't last a day with the yakuza._

Fuyuhiko grabbed unto his chopsticks, preparing to dig in to his first meal of the day. But there was something he needed to ask, and he was sure that Naegi would be able to divulge information much more easily than his other two companions.

"Hey…How're Peko and the others doing?"

Naegi blinked for a few seconds, twiddling his thumbs as he thought over his answer. The delay made Fuyuhiko even more anxious, but he just couldn't bring himself to lash out at the younger boy. Was it the height? Probably the height.

"Their conditions have definitely improved since the game's termination, however…We can't estimate for sure when they may wake up."

That was pretty much the same thing Kirigiri had told him. The only difference being that Kirigiri's was less direct and riddled with warnings, while Naegi's sounded more honest and polite.

"I see…Thanks for telling me."

Naegi nodded back, "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more. But I'll tell you right away if there's a change in their behavior! And I'm sure there will be, because they'll definitely wake up!"

Fuyuhiko let out a chuckle, his left hand unconsciously moving to tough his new eye patch. "Of course they will. So for now, I'm gonna bulk up and get taller! Peko's gonna flip when-"

Realizing his mistake a second late, Fuyuhiko turned to gauge Naegi's reaction as he tried to control his blush.

"That's right! We're still young! We're not done growing yet!"

Fuyuhiko could almost feel his one good eye watering, glad to have finally found a comrade in height unfairness. "You've got that right! If that brat Sainoji's grown enough to finally look her age, then there's nothing stopping me from doing the same! Oi, Naegi!"

"Yes!"

"I changed my mind about that milk. I'm the SHSL yakuza, for crying out loud! One bottle of milk isn't gonna be the death of me!"

Naegi saluted him. "Yes, right away!"

As Naegi dashed out of the room, Fuyuhiko felt like a weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders. It took a few more seconds for what had just transpired to sink in. _Did I…just bond over my lack of height with Naegi?_

* * *

For the first time in her entire life, Akane Owari wasn't hungry. She stared dejectedly at her breakfast tray, disappointed with herself for letting such good food go to waste. But she just couldn't bring herself to eat. Not when the old man and everyone else were still in a deep sleep. Not when Hinata still hadn't regain full control of himself. She let out a dejected sigh as she put the tray aside and debated over what she could do to stave off boredom.

There was a knock on her door, and before Akane could stop herself, she yelled out, "Come in!"

To her immense relief, it wasn't the skinny Togami this time. Naegi poked his head in, eyes landing straight to her untouched food.

"Owari-san…You're not eating again?"

"Nah…I don't really feel up to it."

Naegi fully entered the room now, approaching the tray with a look filled with worry.

"Hey, now. No need to scrunch your little face up! I'm sure my appetite will be back to normal once everyone else wakes up!"

"But… what if that wait takes a year?"

"Then I'll wait a year."

"Owari-san, you'll have died by starvation by then."

"No way! I'll find a way to overcome my hunger through _sheer willpower_!"

Naegi let out a tired sigh as he set the tray on Akane's lap.

"Hey, like I said, I'm not gonna-"

"Owari-san, if you starve before your friends wake up, you'll have made a senseless sacrifice of yourself and cause another needless tragedy for your friends that are with you right now."

Akane hesitated after hearing that. She hadn't expected Naegi to retort. The smaller boy usually just nodded along with her, while those other two had the tendency to give her more grief over her hunger strike. So why was Naegi trying to talk sense into her now?

"Oh, I got it! That Kirigiri chick and that skinny Togami put you up to this!" she exclaimed, pounding her right fist unto her left palm.

"Um…no. And please stop calling Togami-kun skinny, it's making him self-conscious."

"Alright, if those two didn't put you up to this, then why are you suddenly taking their sides now? "

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I just assumed that you'd eventually gain your appetite back on your own. But…it's been three days. This has to stop. You don't need to starve yourself, you've done nothing wrong."

"Yes I have." Her voice was quiet, the quietest it had ever been. Naegi had to strain his ears to hear her.

"What do you mean?"

"I lived. I lived through all of that. Even though I'm not the brightest. Even though the old man became a robot because of me. Even though I'm -"

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks now, and Akane cursed at herself for being so weak. She wanted the tears to stop, willed them to stop, but as if a dam had been broken, water continued to stream down her cheeks. She scrunched up her eyelids, turning her face away. She didn't want Naegi to see her looking like this…Looking so _pathetic_. As she rubbed furiously at her yes, she felt a hand grab gently unto her wrist.

"Owari-san, it's okay to cry. There's nothing wrong with that."

"What are you talking about?! There's all kinds of things wrong with crying! Crying is for -hic- for the weak! Weak, pathetic little girls!"

Naegi waited patiently, holding her trembling hand as the older girl continued to yell out her frustrations at the world, at herself, at Hope's Peak Academy and Junko Enoshima. The tears eventually stopped, and her sobbing subsided. And somehow, she felt better. The best she's felt in days, as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted from her chest.

"Uggghhhh. Crying…really sucks. And it drains a lot of energy." The gymnast looked forlornly at her now damp food as her stomach rumbled loudly. Naegi finally let go of her wrist, taking the tray of food with him.

"I'll go ask the chefs to cook up some more food for you."

Akane looked up at him as if he were an angel that descended straight from heaven, "Th-then, can you ask for twice as much? I have a feeling I'm gonna need seconds! Or maybe even thirds!"

The shorter boy chuckled, "Of course! I'm sure the chefs will be more than happy to know that you've got your appetite back!"

"Ah, geez, thanks little guy! You're a real life saver!"

Not bothering to comment on the nickname, Naegi merely smiled fondly as he left the room, already thinking up the surviving students' lunch orders.

As Akane watched the younger boy's retreating form, a thought occurred to him.

 _That kid…He's a lot like Hinata…_

* * *

"Naegi."

"Naegi-kun."

Makoto jolts in surprise at the sound of his name, turning to his two stoic best friends.

Kirigiri looked at him with mild amusement; "What took us days to accomplish only took you less than half an hour. Your really live up to your super high school level title."

Togami adjusts his glasses, looking almost fond; "Indeed. Maybe it would have been best if we didn't tag along after all."

Makoto shook his head frantically, nearly dropping Owari's food tray in the process; "Of course not! If you two hadn't been there, we wouldn't have been able to shut down the game!"

"That's the only reason?" Kirigiri asks teasingly.

"No, of course not! I'm really glad you're both here! There's no way I could handle things here by myself!" He gives them his signature _Adorable Luckster Smile_ ™ and that's all it takes for the pair to cease their teasing session.

Togami coughs awkwardly into his right hand, "Well then, run along now, go and get Owari's food before she eats the furniture in her room. She hasn't eaten in four days, so one can only assume how much longer her stomach can hold out."

Makoto nods in agreement, smile still in place; "Right!"

And then he's off, eagerly running down the hallway. As Makoto's retreating form disappeared from sight, Togami and Kirigiri's smiles (or what could be defined as smiles in their own opinions) quickly faded.

"So, how's Hinata's condition?" Togami asked, turning to Kirigiri.

"Hinata-kun has yet to awaken, but…After seeing the progress with the other students, I can't help but feel…hopeful. About Hinata-kun, this entire situation…I suppose Naegi-kun's influence is rubbing off on me."

"I'm pretty sure he's already done that to us both a long time ago. He's Super High School Level Hope, after all."

* * *

Hajime Hinata wakes to the feel of cold metal against his skin. His eyes fly open in seconds as he tries to jolt in an upwards position…and finds that the restraints binding his arms and legs make this task impossible. He tries to think back, sifting through foggy memories… _That's right, the operation…It must be today…Or is it already complete_?

Hajime's eyes scanned the room before finally landing on a young boy dressed in a black suit. "It's good to see you finally awake! Am I speaking to Hajime Hinata?"

Hajime felt himself nod, now more confused than ever. The boy looked to be around middle school age…so what was he doing in the operating room? There was an itching feeling at the back of his head, like an incessant hand knocking against his cranium. Hajime shut his eyes for a moment and-

 _You all need to collect the hope shards!_

 _The only way off this island is to kill someone!_

 _Bye-bye everyone._

You're _Izuru Kamakura!_

Hajime's eyes blinked back open in a flash, gasping for air. Naegi…That was the boy's name, Makoto Naegi, he rushed to his side in seconds, calling for someone…But Hajime couldn't hear. He couldn't hear anything. The memories were surging in all at once and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. The words "despair" and "hope" flashed in his mind, the image of a pink-haired girl sadly waving good-bye to him, the image of a white-haired boy's immovable corpse covered in blood. And then there was red. Red, red, red. Red eyes, red blood from the lifeless corpses, so much red and despair and-

And then it all went dark.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Kirigiri asked, deftly putting the syringe away. Naegi nodded back, smiling sadly at Hinata's sleeping form. Kirigiri sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. "Even with these restraints, there's no telling when Izuru Kamakura can resurface. If I'm not around, at least bring Togami with you."

"I'm sorry…I just…thought that we'd finally manage to get a breakthrough today."

Kirigiri uncrossed her arms, moving closer to the shorter boy. "We'll get there. So, which one of them spoke to you today?"

Naegi smiled at her this time, and Kirigiri knew the answer before it left his lips.

"It was Hinata-kun."

* * *

"Hinata spoke to you?!" Souda asks, eyes wide and filling up with tears.

Naegi smiles back, happy to finally bring the survivors some good news for a change. "Yes, it was brief, but it appears that Hinata-kun is slowly regaining control over his body."

"That's my soul friend, for you! There's no way he'd lose so easily to that Kama-whatever!"

"Yes, of course!" Sonia agreed, happily clapping her hands together as joyful tears trailed down her cheeks. "Hinata-san was the staple that held us together in that final trial, after all!"

"I think you mean glue…" Kuzuryuu corrected, before finally breaking out into a wide smile. He doesn't say more, but Naegi feels that his smile says enough.

And Owari…is bawling. Shamelessly bawling ever since Naegi relayed the good news to the group. "He's -hic- not some -hic- despair-obsessed -hic- psycho anymore! Now -hic- I don't have to punch him anymooooore!"

Naegi exits the room, leaving behind excited chatter as the group makes plans for welcoming their friend back.

* * *

 **Omake**

Staring blankly at the monitor as Hinata receives yet another piece of undergarment are three slightly confused teenagers.

Togami is the first to break the silence; "That's the eighth one. Who was the pervert that implemented this stupid mechanic in the game? Was it Syo? It was Syo, wasn't it."

"But if that were the case, then why is it that Hinata-kun is the only one receiving undergarments?"

Naegi shrugs, surprisingly not at all put off by the display; "Maybe Hinata-kun's friends are just giving him their underwear for the same reason you and Kirigiri-san gave me yours."

There's a long pause after that. Then, without warning, both Kirigiri and Togami pointed an accusing finger at the other, yelling in unison; "You gave him your underwear?!"

Naegi decides to take this opportunity to silently flee from the scene. He wasn't quite sure what compelled all of his classmates to give him their undergarments, but he was glad to know that at least he wasn't the only person receiving such treatment.

"I guess it's supposed to be a sign of friendship. Maybe I would should give Kirigiri-san and Togami-kun my boxers tomorrow? That's probably why they're upset."

* * *

A/N: So that's the first chapter! I plan to make this story about 6 chapters long, but I can't make any promises in regards to how frequent I update (But here's a hint: reviews give me fuel to write faster!). Anyways, look forward to more Hinata in the next chapter!


	2. Forgiveness

**Chapter 2: Forgiveness**

Hajime wakes to nothingness. _Ah,_ he thinks dejectedly, _I lost control again_.

He hears the sound of light footsteps and feels himself release the tension of his shoulders at the sight of a familiar face.

"Hey, Nanami. I'm back."

Nanami smiles and nod, taking a seat next to him. "You've been gone longer these days."

"Oh, sorry about that."

"You don't have to apologize. It means you're gaining more control over yourself. You're beating despair for the sake of the future we decided on. Really, I'm glad."

Hajime smiles in response until a thought occurs to him.

"The other me…he hasn't done anything to you, has he?"

"Mm…Nope. He just sits and broods. Sometimes he'll complain about how bored he is."

The other teen lets out a relieved sigh. A comfortable silence settles between them, one of many. During these times, Hajime is reminded of their time spent together on the island, idly playing games and falling asleep together.

"Hey, Nanami? Will I still get to see you again? You know, even after I return. _Completely_ return."

Nanami pulls her hood up, face turning contemplative. "I'm sure I'll see you again soon, but I'm not sure when…I know that Naegi-kun and my older brother are trying to find a way to put my program back together…but I don't know how long that will take."

"…I see."

"But I'll always be here for you, Hinata-kun. With or without a program. If you ever need me, I'll always be here."

"…Thanks. Really, thanks a lot."

Nanami smiles again, kind and gentle. "You should get going soon…Everyone's waiting…I think."

"You should really work on getting a better catchphrase."

"Hmmm…Maybe you should ask Naegi-kun to put that into the new program, then? How does,'There's only one truth and one truth prevails'?"*

"Ummm….Why don't we just cross that bridge when we get there?"

Nanami pouts at that, but says nothing. Hajime finds himself chuckling at the sight, nearly missing the bright, flashing lights.

"Ah…It's time for you to go, Hinata-kun."

"Huh? B-but-"

"We'll see each other again. Until then, take care."

* * *

Hajime Hinata wakes with a start. He takes in his surroundings, fruitlessly trying to wiggle out of whatever he's tied down to. And then his memories come rushing back in again.

 _That's right…I'm in the real world now…_

He ceases his struggling and closes his eyes.

"Um, Hinata-kun?"

His eyes snap back open, and he turns to the side, instantly recognizing the small figure.

"Oh, Naegi. How long was I out this time?"

"Four hours. That's a new record!" he smiles triumphantly at him, bouncing slightly in excitement. Hajime's eyes widen at the news. It had been four weeks since the first time he regained control of his body, and according to Naegi, until recently, he could only keep control for a limited amount of time. So for Izuru Kamakura to have only lasted four hours was definitely cause for celebration. Before he could stop himself, Hajime found himself laughing excitedly.

"Hey, Naegi? Could I ask for a favor?"

"Of course! What is it?"

"Once I beat this guy inside of me…for good, could you give me a haircut?"

Naegi beams, "Of course!"

—

Red eyes silently scan their surroundings. Letting out a tired sigh, the black clad man takes a seat in the empty space. He hears footsteps echo in the distance, but chooses to keep his face forward.

"Come to gloat in my defeat?"

The foot steps halt and the speaker takes approximately ten seconds to respond.

"No. I just came to see you."

"To see me in this pitiful state?"

"I don't think you look pitiful…I think."

"You certainly sound sure of yourself." The man deadpans, finally acknowledging the other's presence with a sneer.

The girl takes a seat next to him, ignoring the grunt of displeasure that escapes the other man's lips.

"Honestly, I much prefer speaking with Hinata-kun…But you're Hinata-kun too, so I suppose I can make this work…probably."

The man heaves a heavy sigh. But at least, for now, the girl might alleviate him from his boredom.

—

Hajime wakes up confused. He shifts his arms and legs, unable to feel the familiar bindings that usually strapped him to his bed.

"Good morning, Hinata-kun."

Hajime looks up, but this time it isn't Naegi. What was her name again? Kirigiri?

"How do you like you new accommodations?"

"Everything looks the same to me. The bed feels less restricted, though."

"I see you at least have the energy to sass."

Hajime smiles sheepishly and sincerely hopes that the younger girl can take a joke as well as Naegi. To his relief, a small, bemused smile graces her lips as she approaches him.

"Congratulations. You've won."

Hajime looks at her questioningly. "Won…You mean…"

"For the past 24 hours, you have been in complete control of your body."

Hajime is speechless. He wants to laugh and cry, to scream as loud as he can. And then he remembers a pressing issue.

"My friends. Can I see them now?"

"You can. But first thing's first. I believe Naegi promised you a haircut."

Hajime looks at her newly brandished scissors unsurely. Kirigiri smirks at his hesitance. "Don't worry. I may not be a professional, but I'm a much better option compared to the other two."

"That really doesn't make me feel better."

* * *

To his surprise, Kirigiri makes for a decent stylist. His hair looks almost exactly like his game avatar's.

"Thanks." He finally says.

"No problem. Thankfully, your previous haircut wasn't too difficult to recreate."

"Yeah…But I guess you're not the SHSL stylist, huh?"

Hajime felt a light thump against his head. The taller teen stifled a chuckle before a realization dawned on him.

"Oh yeah, I'd been meaning to ask, but your last name…By any chance, are you related to Jin Kirigiri?"

"Yes, I am. He's my father."

Hajime's eyes widen; "O-oh. I see. So then, is he, uh…"

"Unfortunately, he's no longer on this world."

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yes, well…I've long since moved on. Is there anything else you'd like to ask me before I take you to your friends?"

Hajime thought for a moment.

"Well…If you don't mind me asking-"

"No, I don't."

"I know what Togami's talent is, but what about you and Naegi?"

"I'm the SHSL Detective."

"Detective, huh? That must have come in handy during investigations."

"Yes, even with my missing memories, my natural talent for investigating remained intact."

 _Well aren't we humble. Wait, hold up._

"Missing memories?"

"That's right. Like you, at the start of the mutual school life of killing, I had forgotten my own talent. I didn't remember it until the final case."

"O-oh…I see." _At least you had a talent all along._

"At least you had a talent all along…Is what you're thinking, correct?"

Hajime blanched, looking up at her in surprise.

"I'm the SHSL Detective, remember? Reading others is one of my specialties."

"I see…Good to know…"

"So?"

"So…what?"

"Aren't you going to ask about Naegi-kun's talent?"

"Oh, that's right. What is it? It's probably something like counselor…Or maybe teacher? He seems like he'd be good with kids."

"Neither. He's the SHSL Luckster."

"Luckster…Like Komoeda."

A look of disgust briefly flickers across Kirigiri's face, but the younger teen quickly masks it with one of indifference. "Yes…that's correct. However, Naegi-kun has one other talent."

"Another?" Hajime asks, interest piqued.

"Yes, he's also SHSL Hope."

"…What."

* * *

 **Four Weeks Ago**

"That scrawny little kid killed Enoshima?!" Owari exclaims, baffled.

Naegi fidgets awkwardly between Kirigiri and Togami, not one to enjoy being placed under the spotlight.

"He didn't kill Enoshima"; Kirigiri explains, folding her arms across her chest, "Enoshima chose to give herself an execution after the surviving students chose to believe in Naegi's hope. This drove Enoshima even further to despair, ultimately leading to her own demise. For that, Naegi rightfully earned the title Super High School Level Hope."

Souda scratched his cheek unsurely; "So you're sayin' Enoshima committed suicide? That means she's dead now, right?"

"That's correct"; Togami replied.

"I see…So then that Enoshima that we encountered must have been a genuine Japanese ghost!"

Kuzuryuu face palmed, "Sonia, how may times dow we have to tell you, that wasn't a ghost! That was a computer program! An AI!"

"Oh, I see…That is most unfortunate…"

"Okay, hold up"; Souda interjects, raising both hands to gain the others' attention. "So the little guy didn't _really kill_ Enoshima, yeah? He just drove her to commit suicide for being too…hopeful?"

"More or less"; Kirigiri affirms, nodding in agreement; "In fact, Naegi-kun tried to stop Enoshima's execution."

"What?!" Souda exclaims, face aghast. "Why would you do that man?! That chick was insane!"

"Because…" Naegi begins, eyes turning downcast, "I believe that anyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves. That's why I wanted to save all of you as well."

The room goes quiet and Kirigiri and Togami silently smile to themselves. The title of SHSL Hope wasn't just handed to Naegi, after all. He earned it.

* * *

Hajime looks at the door before him, heart thumping in nervousness. He wonders if his friends are still willing to accept him, especially after finding out that he's the reason that Enoshima's AI infected the simulation they'd been in. Taking a deep breath, he braces himself for…

 _Pop!_

He opens the door to find his friends holding party poppers and wearing excited grins. The room is strewn with streamers and confetti.

"Congratulations…It's a boy?" Hajime asks, referring to the banner at the center of the room.

"Unfortunately, it would seem that party decorations are quite sparse at the moment. This was all Naegi-san and his friends could find for us at such short notice."

"No, it's fine…At least it got my gender right." Hajime smiles, genuinely happy and relieved that his friends would go so far for him.

Souda, unable to hold the tears in anymore, rushes up to the taller teen and wraps him in a bear hug.

"Hinataaaaa! I'm so glad you're back!"

"Souda-san, I'm sure the sentiment is much appreciated, but if you don't let go soon, I believe that Hinata-san will not stay in this plane of existence much longer."

"Oi, she's right!" Kuzuryuu exclaims, slightly panicked, "Hinata's turning blue!"

Souda quickly lets go upon hearing that. "S-sorry about that, man"; he says between sniffles.

Hajime lets out a chuckle between his coughs, "N-no, it's alright."

The former reserve course student straightened, smiling at each of his friends. He takes in their _real_ appearances. Souda's black eyes and black framed spectacles. Kuzuryuu, ever so slightly taller and sporting a medical eyepatch. Sonia, whose golden hair is now cut short and adorned by a simple black headband. Owari, looking slightly skinnier and wearing more modest clothing. He takes it all in, feeling the most hopeful he's felt in a while."I'm back."

Cheers resound throughout the room as Hajime is attacked by hugs, hair ruffles, and echoes of "Welcome Back!"

There's a polite knock on the door, and all five of the students have resided in the building long enough to know that there's only one Future Foundation member that ever bothers to do that. "I hope I'm not interrupting"; Naegi says, poking his head in.

Hajime feels himself stiffens. Since learning of Naegi's talent, he couldn't help but feel somewhat…inferior to the younger boy.

"Waaaaahhhh!"

Owari's excited scream snaps Hajime out of his thoughts. Looking up, he notices that the rest of his friends have crowded around the cart that Naegi had wheeled in. The younger teen looks up at him and beckons for him to come over. With slight hesitance, Hajime complies. Once he reaches the cart, he finds the source for Owari's excitement.

A cake with the words "Welcome Back" written in frosting.

"…Is this for me?"

Naegi nods back happily. "Ah, the knife. I'll be right back!"

"Hurry!" Owari yells, saliva dripping from her mouth.

"Oi, Hinata. You okay?" Kuzuryuu asks with a worried frown.

"O-oh…Yeah. It's just…Kirigiri told me about Naegi's talent, and…"

The other three give him a look of understanding. Owari, sensing the sudden tension, turns to Hajime with a frown.

"So? You found out what that little guy's talent is. Big deal. Why would you be upset over that? Especially when there's cake!"

"Owari, you idiot!" Souda scolds. "Of course it's a big deal! 'Cos Hinata's-"

"Sorry about that!"

Naegi reenters the room, knife in hand. He cuts each of them a slice, then sets two aside.

"Are those for Kirigiri-san and Togami-san?" Sonia asks politely.

Naegi nods. "Yeah, they're both busy right now, but as soon as they're free, I'm sure they'll want to give it a try."

"Hey, how did you convince the chefs to make this anyway?" Souda asks in between bites of his slice.

"Ah…I didn't. Kirigiri-san and I made this."

"Is that so?!" Sonia exclaims, eyes shining bightly. "It is very delicious! Please give Kirigiri-san my regards as well!"

"I'm glad to hear that!"

"So skinny -munch- Togami didn't -munch- help at all?"

"Um…he _did_ offer to help, but the last time he tried his hand at cooking…"

The others solemnly nodded in understanding. But that was to be expected, Togami had probably lived through most of his life without having to lift a finger. The fact that he'd actually attempted to cook was a miracle in itself.

Naegi set his slice aside as well, placing it next to Kirigiri's and Togami's.

"You're…not gonna eat with us?" Hajime asked.

"Oh, I still have some work left to do…And it wouldn't feel right to eat without Kirigiri-san and Togami-kun."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Owari agreed, looking more sombre. "Eating with others…it's a lot better than eating alone."

Naegi smiled at that before waving farewell to everyone.

"Naegi, wait!" Hajime called, setting his plate aside.

"Hinata?" Kuzuryuu asked, surprised.

"Sorry, I just…I need to talk to him." Without waiting for a response, Hajime rushed out the door until he finally caught up to the shorter teen.

"Naegi!"

"Hinata-kun?!"

"I…I need to talk to you…"

* * *

Standing side by side like this, it was then that Hajime realized how much shorter the other boy was compared to him. But there was a sense of familiarity to it…this height difference. _Ah, that's right…I'm pretty sure Nanami's the same height._

"Hinata-kun…Did Kirigiri-san tell you about my talent?"

Hajime nods slowly, worrying his lip and clenching his fists.

Naegi faces forward, leaning against the wall as he speaks. "Are you mad at me?"

"What?! No! Of course not! But I am…I guess I'm…jealous."

"…I see."

"It's just…I was given the title of SHSL Hope, too, you know? But…it was artificial…My talents..they weren't real. They weren't _mine._ And even after I gained all of those talents, I couldn't _do_ anything with them. I couldn't help anyone. I…I did the exact opposite! I…I'm a fake. I have no talent. I can't inspire hope in anyone like you can. You're…you really _are_ SHSL Hope. You earned that title. I never did anything to deserve that title."

Hajime could fear warm tears prickling his eyes now as feelings of guilt and regret filled his chest.

"Hinata-kun, you're not a fake. These titles we all hold are just that…they're titles. They don't define us."

"I know that…I know that now…But, I'm just so upset with myself! Upset with myself for being so weak…For wanting talent so much that I gave up my identity for it! I've _killed_ people, Naegi!"

"But you won't anymore."

"How do you know?! How do you know I won't fall into despair again?! Kirigiri told me…She told me that you tried to save Enoshima too! But you couldn't! She refused your help and killed herself! How are you so sure that I won't end up the same?!"

"Because you're here."

Hajime pauses, chest heaving up and down.

"You're here with me right now because you decided to fight against despair. You decided to carve your own future…a new one, with all of your friends that are here with you."

Hajime blinks the remaining tears from his eyes. Naegi hands him a handkerchief from his pocket and Hajime accepts it with a nod in thanks.

"Hinata-kun, you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. I admire you. I admire your strength to move on. I admire your loyalty to your friends. Instead of worrying about super high school level titles, wear your own name with the pride it deserves."

Hajime nods weakly, feeling a sense of comfort he hadn't felt since the last night he spent at home with his parents.

"Hinata-kun, could you crouch down a little?"

The taller teen wears a confused look but otherwise obliges. Naegi gets on his tiptoes…and ruffles Hajime's head affectionately the same way his own father used to.

"Um…Naegi?"

"O-oh!" the younger brunet finally lets go, cheeks lightly tinted with pink. "Sorry about that…Whenever my younger sister's upset, I usually pat her head to calm her down…I thought it might work for you too, so…"

"N-no, it's fine! Thanks. Wait, you have a sister?"

Naegi nods. "Yeah…I guess I'm pretty lucky to still have her around." It goes unsaid, but Hajime can tell by the look of Naegi's eyes that his sister's probably the only family he has left. Blocking that awful thought out, Hajime decides to focus on the present…On the family that Naegi _still_ has.

"That's nice. Does she work for the Future Foundation, too?"

"She actually joined pretty recently, but she's pretty busy right now. Ah, but if she's ever free, I'd definitely like to introduce you to her!"

"That sounds good. And thanks again…really."

Naegi beams at him, glad to have been of help. "I see…Then if you ever need someone to talk to, my door's always open!"

—

Within the chamber amongst the comatose bodies of the remnants of despair…The hand of an a certain imposter twitches ever so slightly…

* * *

 **Omake**

Kuzuryuu stares at the trio before him, arms crossed in front of his chest. "So, who came up with Usami and thought that making a rabbit plush our teacher was a good idea?"

"Oh, yeah!" Souda pipes up, nodding in agreement, "And what was up with that baby talk? She spoke to us like we were kindergarteners!"

Both Togami and Kirigiri silently brought their eyes down towards Naegi, who made no effort to hide his embarrassment. With both hands covering his blushing face, he let out a muffled "I'm sowwy."

Kuzuryuu let out a defeated sigh. "So it was you…"

"Um…Look;" Souda begins, awkwardly scratching his right cheek, "you don't have to apologize. We're not mad or anything. It's just…Seriously, what was up with the baby talk?"

"I thought it would make Usami seem cute and more approachable."

"Yes, I do believe that Usami-san was quite adorable. But…Perhaps a hamster teacher would have been much, much more adorable! Imagine being taught by a large, fluffily hamster with big, huggable cheeks!" Sonia's eyes sparkled at the mere thought.

"Yeah, putting that aside;" Hajime began, trying to move the conversation along, "Why did everyone give me their underwear once I got all of their hope fragments?"

There's a long pause then. Every pair of eyes (or eye, in Kuzuryuu's case) landed on the former reserve course student. "W-what?"

"Hinata-san…You received underwear from someone other than myself?"

"Hinata, you traitor! You got Sonia-san's underwear?! I thought you were my soul friend!"

"I don't get what the big deal is. So what if we all gave Hinata our panties?"

"Wait, hold up!" Kuzuryuu exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "So all of us gave Hinata our underwear?!"

Hinata turned pleadingly to Naegi and his friends for an explanation.

"Ah, sorry, I'm getting a call. I have to take this."

And with that Kirigiri was gone.

"Hmph, it would appear that I'm being summoned as well."

And there goes Togami.

But Naegi, bless his heart, Naegi stayed. The luckster approached the older teen and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright, HInata-kun. Just give them all your boxers, and everything will be fine."

"… _What._ "

 **-Elsewhere-**

"Hey, Kamakura-kun? Can you-"

" **No."**

* * *

*For those who didn't recognize it, the catchphrase Nanami uses here is actually Detective Conan's catchphrase. I love me them seiyuu jokes.

Will I ever stop making underwear jokes? Probably not.


	3. Identity

A/N: Gaaaah, I'm sorry this took so long! School got in the way, and this chapter ended up being much longer than I'd expected. I'd also been hit with a massive writer's block and had a hard time figuring out how to write and pace this chapter. Spring break's coming up soon, so hopefully you all won't have to wait as long for the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Identity**

Makoto Naegi zips up his duffel bag, heaving it off his bed with a huff. Their stay had taken longer than expected, but Makoto wanted to be absolutely sure that Hinata and his friends were strong enough, mentally and emotionally, to be able to take care of themselves and their comatose friends before his departure.

 _Knock knock_

"Come in!"

The door creaked open, revealing the pale face of one Kyoko Kirigiri.

"Are you all set?"

"Yeah…"

"You don't seem like you are."

Makoto scratched his right cheek, smiling sheepishly.

"I guess not…"

Kirigiri strode in, taking a seat at the edge of Makoto's bed. She pat the space next to him, motioning the shorter teen to sit. Makoto obeyed, eyes still downcast.

"Naegi-kun, we've done all we can. We've stalled for as long as possible, but the Future Foundation still needs us."

Makoto nodded. He knew Kirigiri was right. He knew it, but…

"Hinata-kun and the others will be fine, so stop worrying. You've been worrying so much, I fear that it may separate from you and become a separate entity. Then we'd have another troublesome task to deal with."

Makoto let out a chuckle at that. It had taken nearly a year, but in her own awkward way, Kirigiri had learned how to comfort others and make jokes. Togami often commented that Kirigiri's attempts at comedy were about as humorous as Hagakure's puns, but the detective's jokes never failed to bring a smile to Makoto's face. And to Kirigiri, that was all that really mattered.

"I guess your right…But, if possible, I'd still like to check up on them from time to time. J-just to make sure that they're getting along fine."

Kirigri smirked. "You sound like you're their mother."

"Eh hehe, Togami-kun said that too."

Makoto felt comforting arms wrap around his shoulders.

"Well then, let me worry for you. Let me worry for the worrier that never starts worrying."

Makoto leans in, pressing his head against Kirigiri's chest as a content smile spreads across his face.

* * *

"And in case of emergencies-"

"I know, I know. You went over this 50 times yesterday, and no, I'm not exaggerating. I kept count."

Naegi smiles sheepishly before extending a hand out for Hajime to shake. Hajime obliges, somehow able to firmly grasp the younger teen's hand without letting any of his nervousness show (at least, he hopes so.)

"Do you have any more questions before we leave?"

Hajime anxiously racks his brain for any missing information. Ah, right! The-

"The kitchen has a hidden pantry door in case supplies don't make it in time."

"O-oh. Yeah, thanks! Uh, how did you know what I was going to ask?"

A wistful smile plays on Naegi's lips. "I'm an esper."

What. Super High School Level Hope, Luck, and _an esper?!_

Naegi takes in Hajime's incredulous look and finds himself chuckling good naturedly. "I'm kidding. I just have good intuition."

"Naegi, hurry up or we're leaving you behind!"

"Hey, skinny Togami! Be sure to eat more while you're gone and-"

"Hurry up, _please!"_

"He's using the manners we taught him now, I'd better get going. Take care Hinata-kun!"

"Yeah, you too!"

Hajime watches the boat sail away until it completely disappears from view, trying to ignore the concerned looks that his friends cast on his back. He clenched and unclenched his fists, worrying his lower lip and trembling slightly.

"Um, Hinata-san?"

Hajime looked, back, finally snapping away from his depressing thoughts. Sonia and his friends all wore comforting smiles.

"There is still some cake left from your welcome back party. Why don't we all go together and finish it up? It will be like a second party!"

"So I get two welcome back parties?"

Souda flashed him a toothy grin, "Hey, we're just really glad to have you back!"

* * *

 **-Elsewhere-**

"Kamakura-kun, would you like to eat some cake as well?"

"..No."

"…You hesitated."

"…"

—

Their daily activities hadn't changed much from the time they spent in the virtual world. Well, minus the whole "murder your friends to get off the island" part. There were chores assigned and schedules kept, with the occasional tweaking since certain carnivores couldn't be trusted alone in a room full of food. Hajime idly swept the empty hall of what used to be Hotel Mirai. While the hotel turned secret base had been mostly transformed, the sofa he often found Nanami asleep on was still intact.

He let out a sigh, wondering when Naegi and Alter Ego would finally reconstruct Nanami's damaged data, butwas drawn out of his thoughts at the sound of hurried running. He turned to the doorway to find an out of breath Kuzuryuu, leaning against the door for support as he gasped for air.

"Kuzuryuu, what's wrong?!"

"Hinata", he began, still gasping for air, "You have to come quick. It's Togami. The other one."

The broom clattered to the floor.

* * *

A man…or woman? Person? This person…had spent so much time masquerading as someone else that they no longer knew what to identify as. This person assumed that they were a he, it felt right to them…almost nostalgic…Maybe they - he - masqueraded as a male the most…Yes, that was probably why.

He looked carefully at his surroundings, taking in the shocked faces of three teenagers.

A bespectacled boy with sharp teeth and loud, pink hair cowered behind a tall, buxom girl wearing a frown that was equal parts confused and cautious. Next to her stood a pretty blonde, who wore a worried frown and had both arms in the air, as if unsure what to do with them.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, the door burst open and two more teens rushed in. A boy with a pointed cowlick, and a shorter boy sporting an eyepatch. The taller boy skidded to a stop and looked at him with wide eyes. The surprise quickly turned to relief as a wide smile stretched across his face.

"Togami-kun, you're awake!"

Togami? Was that his name? His _real_ name?

He stared blankly at the brunet, unsure how to respond. He struggled for words, but then the headaches started. He gripped his head tightly, ignoring the worried shouts from the gathered teens as he struggled to numb the pain. Images of splattered blood, black and white masks, and a gyaru wearing a twisted smile flashed through his mind in quick succession, and each time he looked in the mirror, he never recognized the face staring back at him.

" _Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"_

His pained cries pierced the room as he struggled to be freed of his bonds, banging his head against the coffin-like bed that held his body. "Get away! Where is she?! Where is she?!"

His yells soon turned to guffaws, his mouth twisting into a maniacal grin. Yes, everything was coming back to him now. Everything was starting to make sense. The memories of acceptance, of the writhing excitement at watching families being torn apart…The memories of his classmates…Of his earnestness in keeping them alive…Of his own death…That's right…he shouldn't be…

He felt a sudden sharp pain on his right arm before sleep overcame him once again.

* * *

Kuzuryuu nervously pulled the syringe out of Toga - the fake Togami's arm.

"Du-dude! Where did you get that?!"

"In that drawer over there. Kirigiri told me to use it in case of emergencies."

"Wait, she told _you?!_ Out of all of us, she trusts that kind of information with a yak-"

Kuzuryuu's glare shut Souda up before he could dig himself in deeper.

Hajime stared at their friend's unconscious form, now wishing more than ever that Naegi and his friends had remained on the island with them. He didn't know what to do when their former classmate woke up again. He didn't know how to address them, taking in the former's attire that concealed his entire body. He didn't know what he was going to do when the others woke up and just thinking about having to repeat this process nine more times was giving him a major migraine.

"It's alright."

Hajime blinked, looking around him. The others were too focused on the impostor, probably sharing the same concerns as Hajime. He closed his eyes, wondering if he was finally going insane…again.

"Hinata-kun, can you hear me?"

Okay, he definitely heared a voice this time. Hajime turned around and was faced with a giant monitor that held a familiar face framed by light pink hair.

"…Nanami."

"It's been a while, Hinata-kun."

A pause. Tears. A smile. "Nanami! When- how?!"

"Oh, yeah. What with the other Togami waking up, I totally forgot to tell you about Nanami."

Souda came up next to Hajime, flashing him a sheepish grin.

"Souda! Did you do this?!"

"Well…not completely. Alter Ego, Naegi, and Kirigiri all pitched in. But even with the four of us working together, it took a while. I bet that if the Super High School Level Programmer were still around, Nanami probably would've been revived sooner." Souda founded frustrated at that, but the tone quickly turned apologetic.

"Sorry for the wait, man. Ugh, and we had this big surprise set up, too! I was going to call you in, saying Naegi had an emergency call, then Alter Ego was going to blast _Guess Who's Back_ on loudspeakers, and Nanami was going to appear through a smoke screen and-"

"I get it." Hajime held up a hand, motioning for his friend to stop. "Thanks a lot, Souda. You too, Alter Ego."

The aforementioned AI appeared on the screen behind Nanami, wearing a wide grin. "I'm just glad to have my sister back."

The ruckus caused by the pair of teens and AI's caught the attention of the remaining three occupants in the room. Sonia gasped in disappointment. "Oh my goodness, that elaborate performance we had planned has been compromised!"

"So you guys were in on it too…"

A chorus of laughter echoed through the room, replacing the tension that suffocated it mere seconds ago.

"Hinata-kun…I meant what I said earlier. It'll be alright."

Hajime smiled back. "Yeah…"

* * *

 **-12 hours later-**

They would have had to deal with him sooner or later (and the effects of the drug would have to wear off at some point) but this time, Hajime and his friends were prepared. Armed with syringes, Future Foundation pamphlets that advocated hope, and one of Naegi's rousing speeches recorded in Alter Ego's audio data, the group of survivors entered the room, ready to face whatever Despair had to throw at them.

The group cautiously made their way through the room, clustering close together. The large monitor that used to display the virtual world their class was trapped in crackled to life. Nanami appeared on screen, gesturing for them to approach quietly, as if approaching a small, frightened animal. The group came close enough to take in their former classmate's appearance. Because of his mask, they were unable to determine which direction he was facing or what expression he wore, but the most notable change in his _real_ appearance was how much skinnier he had gotten. Hajime supposed that this was another form of despair. To the impostor, who's sole comfort in a world where he owned nothing was consuming comfort food, the greatest despair he could ever experience would be to deny that same food.

"Instead of ogling at me like some kind of zoo animal…"

The group jumped in surprise at his voice. He let out a tired sigh. "Could you remove my mask?"

After a long pause, Hajime felt four pairs of hands push him forward. "What are you guys doing?!" Hajime hissed, turning to his turning to his traitorous friends.

"Well, you _are_ kind of our leader here"; Kuzuryuu offered, scratching his right cheek awkwardly.

"Well?" the impostor asked impatiently.

Hajime let out a defeated sigh before moving closer and carefully removing his friend's mask. Underneath…Was his own reflection.

"…Me?"

The fake Hajime looked at him dully, and it was strange, seeing such a foreign expression on his own face. When it felt like the silence would swallow up the entire room, the super high school level impostor finally spoke.

"When you became Izuru Kamakura, you discarded your previous identity. Hajime Hinata. And since you no longer claimed it, I decided to take it as my own."

"…" Hajime was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to respond to that? None of this was in the hopeful pamphlet that Naegi had given him!

"Um…" Owari began, breaking another awkward silence, "So what are we supposed to call you? Green Eyes? Green Hinata? Fake Hinata?"

"You may call me whatever you want."

"Then, how about The Skinnier Hinata That Needs to Eat More Meat Because Now He Looks Even Skinnier Than Togami?"

"Except that."

"Why don't we ignore Owari for now ("Hey!") and keep our focus on what to do about your appearance." Kuzuryuu shot the impostor a look that was somehow both threatening and concerned at the same time. Or maybe Kuzuryuu was trying to look concerned, but spent so much time frowning, that the final result ended up looking like an angry rabbit offering to console a friend with freshly grown carrots.

"My appearance?"

"Y-yeah", Souda agreed reluctantly, not quite meeting the fake in the eye, "even if your eye colors are different, it''s still going to be pretty confusing to have two Hinatas. I mean, you don't have to do it right away…But maybe consider changing your appearance?"

"Yes!" Sonia agreed excitedly. "I would very much like to see your true appearance as well!"

"True appearance…I'm afraid I don't have one."

Hajime finally found his voice as he spoke; "That's right. You told me that in the simulator, too. But I never really understood what you meant. How can you not have a 'true appearance'? There's got to be a face underneath all that make up, right?"

"Make up? Ah, that's right. This face…it's artificial…And all the lives I've ever lived…They were artificial as well…"

"You've got that wrong!"

Hajime surprised himself at how loud he yelled, and everyone around him was staring at him with equally surprised faces. Everyone but Nanami, who looked at him with an all-knowing smile. The words she'd told him earlier, _It'll be alright_ , echoed in his mind. _Yeah…Everything, all of us…We'll be alright._

"Shinjitsu!"*

"Shinjitsu?!"

"You don't have a name, right? So until you come up with a better one, that's going to be your placeholder name. And as for your last name…You can use mine. Hinata's a pretty common surname anyway."

"W-wait, what do you think your doing?!"

"I'm giving you a name. Duh."

"No, that's not what-"

"You said that all of the lives you've ever lived were artificial. But you're wrong. The time we all spent together in the virtual world…It was real. I met you. And even if it was for a short time, I became _friends_ with you. And that's why, as your friend, I'm giving you what you need the most. An identity."

"Identity?"

"Yep. You don't have to show us your real face now, but when you're ready, don't be afraid. We'll accept you."

The impostor stared at Hajime, dumbfounded before bursting in a fit of laughter. Until today, Hajime never knew that his smile could go so wide. The others joined in as well, clapping Hajime proudly in the back.

"I knew we could leave it to our leader!" Souda exclaimed excitedly.

Nanami spoke up for the first time since they entered the room; "But don't you think Nisemono is too long? How about Shinji? Shinji Hinata."

The newly christened Nise nodded. "Yes…I quite like that. Thank you." He looked around the room, taking in each of their grinning faces. "All of you."

Hajime smiled back, no longer feeling as though he were looking at a twisted reflection of himself. They would be alright. All of them.

* * *

 **-Elsewhere-**

"Ill be leaving for a while…Will you be alright?"

"…."

"Don't worry, I'll come back again."

"…When?"

"Whenever you need me."

* * *

 **Omake**

"Oh, there you are Mom!"

Hajime froze, watching Naegi's face cloud with confusion. "Hinata-kun…what did you just call me?"

"N-no! What I meant was-"

Hajime felt his face flare up with embarrassment as the ongoing commotion drew the attention of his other friends.

"I-I- I'm so sorry A-and-"

A bump. Hajime looked down, noticing Kirigiri behind him. He wasn't sure how, but he could feel his cheeks burning even brighter.

"A-ah! I'm sorry Dad!"

Silence.

Togami entered the room.

"So I hear that Naegi and Kirigiri finally settled on adopting one of you."

* * *

*Shinjitsu literally means truth. Shinji is the name of a certain mecha pilot that shares of voice actress with two certain lucksters.


	4. Affection

**Chapter 4: Affection**

"Eh? He's awake?!" Makoto abruptly jumped off of his seat in, surprising the occupants in the room.

"Awake?! Who's awake? Coz I've definitely been awake this entire time!" Hagakure hastily provided, wiping a bit of drool from his bottom lip.

"Y-you liar! You snore even louder than Komaru!"

"Hey!"

Kirigiri sent them her signature glare and effectively shut up the entire room, allowing Makoto to continue his phone call in peace.

"Is he the only that's woken up?" A pause. Makoto nods his head, brow still furrowed in worry. "Oh, okay." He lets out a sigh of relief. "Hm? When we're coming back?"

He looks pleadingly at Kirigiri, and for the briefest of seconds, she looks contemplative. In the end, she shakes her head. Makoto slumps in defeat, not bothering to offer a counter argument. "Sorry…We still have a few things to take care of. But once we're finished with our business here, we'll come back to check on you as soon as possible!"

Makoto nodded some more, affirmed every now and then, and finally hung up.

"So? What's going on?" Asahina asked.

Makoto sighed before sitting back down next to Kirigiri. "It's a long story."

* * *

It had been a week since Shinji woke up, so the rest of the survivors braced themselves for whichever classmate decided to wake up next. Nanami and Alter Ego kept the teens' morale up with speeches Hajime was sure they'd rehearsed with Naegi.

Surprisingly enough, Shinji fit in well with their odd hodge podge of personalities, and through their encouragement, was able to open up more and display a personality that mirrored neither Togami's or Hajime's. An intelligent, witty individual with a love for food that only rivaled Owari. Surprisingly stubborn,always straightforward, and always punctual. Slowly but surely, Shinji was opening his true self up.

Assigned chores and life on their semi-private island continued in peace. Then another week passed, and a loud, piercing squeal echoed through the former hotel's corridors.

Hajime groggily opened his bedroom door, head throbbing from the incessant squeals. He met Souda on his way to the screams' source. The mechanic let out an irritated growl and gnashed his teeth in frustration.

"Who in their right mind would yell out pig calls this early in the morning?!"

"Pig calls?"

And then it clicked. Hajime had been too tired to notice, but now that he listened closely, those loud screams certainly resembled pig squeals. He turned to Souda, eyes slightly panicked.

"Hey, Souda, I think there's only one person among us who'd know how to make pig calls like that."

The bespectacled teen's eyes widened in horror once he reached the same conclusion. "No. Not him. Anyone but him."

—

"It's meeeee! Did y'all miss me? 3"

"He's talking in emoticons. I thought that was Pekoyama's thing." Hajime deadpanned.

"Is there an off switch on this thing? Where? Where is it? Hey, Alter Ego, Nanami, mind giving me a hand?"

Nanami shook her head. "Hanamura-kun is human, Souda-kun. Humans don't come with off switches."

"Gahahaha! An off switch, by that do you mean what I think you mean? Because if we're on the same page-"

"But we can still put him to sleep, right?"

"Aha! I knew Kirigiri shouldn't have trusted those syringes with a yakuza!"

"And just what are you insinua-"

"Ooooh, syringes? Gettin' down and dirty this early in the morning, are we boys?~"

Hajime turned to Kuzuryuu. "Do it."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

* * *

"Is it safe to come inside now?" Sonia asked, peering behind the door.

"Yeah, it's fine. He should be out for a while." Hajime stared at the now sleeping form of their former classmate. His reawakening certainly was…odd. Nowhere near what Shinji's reawakening was like. In fact, there had been no signs of any lingering despair at all.

"I'm worried." Nanami voiced his thoughts. "Was that supposed to be…Hanamura-kun's form of despair?"

"Who cares? That just makes him easier to deal with, right?" Owari asked, dragging Shinji along with her. "And then, these two can make up!"

"Oh, that's right. He kind of killed you."

"Souda-san!"

"I'm so sorry Sonia-san! Please forgive me!"

"It is not I you should be apologizing too."

"O-oh, right! Sorry, Shinji."

"It's alright. Hin- Hajime* informed me of his motives…And how I was not his original target. He had his own reasons, however rash they may seem, but if I knew and loved my mother as much as he did, I honestly can't say I wouldn't have acted any differently if placed in the same position."

"But…I agree with Nanami. The way Hanamura was acting…Is it some kind of coping mechanism? Or did he just completely forget about being a remnant of despair?" Hajime asked, voicing his concerns.

"If only Naegi and the others were here. They'd be able to help us figure this out." Souda added, scratching the back of his head irritably.

"U-um…"

The group all turned their attention to Alter Ego, who fidgeted nervously next to Nanami. "I…I think Hanamura-kun really _was_ in despair earlier…"

"What do you mean?" Kuzuryuu asked, cocking an eyebrow; "Isn't that how he normally acts?"

"N-no…What I mean is…Didn't he seem a bit more aggressive than his usual self?"

Nanami nodded. "Ah, that's right. Earlier, before you all came in, he called me and my older brother a bunch of names that I'm not supposed to repeat."

Hajime nodded, agreeing with the AI's theory, "Yeah, Hanamura was sleazy. But he wasn't _that_ sleazy. Even he has standards he isn't willing to cross."

"So Hanamura's actin' perkier than usual. How is that despair? You saw what Shinji was like when he woke up. Now that, _that_ right there was despair. This? Just some horny pig trying to get laid."

"Like you're one talk."

"Hey, Kuzuryuu, I heard that!"

"That's the point!"

"The both of you!" Hajime silenced the pair with one look before another bout of bickering began. He made a mental note to thank Kirigiri for teaching him to glare like her later. "For now, we have to find a way to approach Hanamura without having him relapse into…what we saw earlier."

"Yes I agree….But who should we send? I don not wish to expose any of my friends to potential danger, and I do not believe that any of us are unappealing enough for someone with such wide tastes."

"I'll go", Shinji said, stepping forward towards Hajime.

"Shinji?! No way, are you forgetting what he-"

"Did in a moment of weakness? No, I haven't. But remember that promise I made in the game? That I would protect all of you? It still stands. I failed to notice how troubled Hanamura was, and because of that, I let myself be killed by him. So please, at the very least, give me the chance to save him the same way you all did for me."

Hajime hesitated, but could sense that Shinji's solid resolve would eventually chip away at any arguments he'd try to make. "Alright. But I'm not letting you go in alone. We'll all be outside waiting the entire time and -"

"My big brother and I will be providing backup from here."

Shinji gave him a relieved smile, "Thank you."

"Okay…That's great and all"; Souda began, glancing about him nervously, "but why is no one talking about how Hanamura looks hot* now?!"

* * *

He takes a familiar route down the gravel country road, humming an old lullaby his mother used to sing to him. The familiar sign of his family's diner comes into view, and that familiar wrenching sensation in his chest returns…But he ignores it. He gulps it down and keeps walking home.

He slides the doors open and can he hear the sound of clinking utensils and boiling water. The smell of freshly cooked dishes penetrates his nostrils and a cozy warmth embraces him the moment he steps foot inside.

His beloved mother greets him with a smile, face covered in sweat from slaving over the stove all day. But his mother is strong. Always has been. He pushes his worries aside, knowing full well that his own cooking talent can one day buy his mother the comfortable, luxurious life she deserves. His mother extends her arms, gesturing him to come close. He does so, in small, unsure steps. He's not sure why. He hasn't seen her in so long, normally he would have dashed to her without hesitation. So why? Why is he so hesitant now?

His mother's smile shifts to one of pure fear and betrayal. She's screaming and pleading as tears fall from her cheeks. He wants to ask her what's wrong, what could make such a strong, valiant woman like her appear so weak? His eye shifts to the corner of his room and he sees his two younger siblings hiding helpless behind a door, faces contorted in a mixture of fear, betrayal, anger, and…despair. He wonders why they're aren't doing anything to help their mother. He wonders what kind of monster would make his beloved mother look and feel so awful. He looks back down, and his mother is lying on the floor…Eyes closed…Breathing halted…Blood everywhere.

He looks down at his hands, covered in blood. His eyes widen at the kitchen knife he didn't realize he held. How long had he been holding this? Why was he holding this? And then it clicked. He did this/ He killed his own mother. His breathing hitches up and his siblings are desperately running, searching for an exit away from their madman of a brother. He clutches his chest and that aching, wrenching feeling creeps back up his throat.

"…This…was all for despair."

* * *

Teruteru wakes up gasping for air as beads of sweat trickle down his face.

 _A dream? No…That was all real…So then I…I really…_

He hears someone clear their throat and turns his head to acknowledge the other's presence, pushing despairing thoughts to the farthest corner of his mind.

Seated on a stool next to the coffin-like bed he's confined to is a teenager with bright green eyes and an antenna that could only belong to one person.

"Ah, Hinata-kun! How kind of you to join me! So, did you like what you saw? My helpless, writhing body lyi—"

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not Hajime Hinata."

The chef looked at him questioningly, urging the lookalike to go on.

"I am known here as Shinji Hinata. In the game world…you knew me as Byakuya Togami."

Teruteru froze, memories of killing an innocent man for the sake of seeing his long dead mother came flooding in. But he pushed it down…pushed it all down…and did the only thing he knew best. The only thing that could help him cope.

"Oh, Togami-kun huh? So you were Hinata-kun's twin all along? Sneaky, sneaky. Trying to keep a potential fantasy of having twi—"

"I'm not Hina— Hajime's twin. Though we share the same last name and appear alike, we are not related by blood."

"O-oh…Huh? Uh, could you explain it in simpler terms?"

"I suppose telling you my real talent would make things easier. I am the Super High School Level Impostor."

A pause.

"W-wait. So then you're not really Byakuya Togami?!"

"That's correct."

"Then who did I—"

But he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. _Who did I kill?_ He's killed so many…His own mother…He doesn't remember what happened to his siblings either…And here he was, still somehow alive and talking to someone he potentially murdered. He didn't deserve to be here right now. He didn't deserve to live.

"Ah, that. Yeah, you killed me."

Teruteru let out a weak laugh at the unexpected bluntness. "I see…So…are you here to punish me~?"

Hina— Shinji leaned in closer, eyes wearing an uncharacteristic frown that looked foreign on Hinata's face. Teruteru braced himself, eyes shut tight and heart beating a mile a minute. But nothing happened.

He waited.

And waited.

And.

"Hey."

"Gaaaaah!" Teruteru let out a yelp, looking up in surprise at Shinji, who held out a piece of bread.

"Hajime thought that you might get hungry, so he asked me to give you this."

"O-oh…And my punishment?"

Shinji's eyes turned downcast, "I think you've been punished enough."

The chef let out a weak laugh. "Wh-what are you talking about? I killed you, remember? Well, in the game world at least. You must hold some grudge for that, right?"

"Your memories. Your memories from before the game. Did they ever return?"

Teruteru kept his mouth shut at that, turning his head slightly away. "Y-yeah…What's your point?"

"When my memories returned, I remembered all of the lives I cut short. All of the lives I ruined. All of the lives I stole. I didn't think I could ever forgive myself for that, and most days, I wake up wondering why I'm still alive. Sometimes…I relapse….Back to when despair brought me inexplicable joy. But most days…I'm glad to be here…with Hajime and the rest of them."

Teruteru listened silently, having caught on to what sort of goal Shinji hoped to achieve. "So you're saying…you want to save me too?"

"If you're willing."

"If I'm willing?"

"Do you remember Junko Enoshima?"

The name brought chills down Teruteru's spine. He shudders slightly, and if he weren't strapped down, he probably would have wrapped his arms around himself. Of course he remembered Junko Enoshima. She was everything to him. She gave gave him the world and dragged it away from underneath his feet. She made him feel alive. She made him want to die. He loved her. He hated her. He…He….

"Looking at your conflicted expression, I can see that you retain memories of her."

Teruteru gave a weak nod. "H-how could I? She had such a great figure, you know? Not just a 10, no, no, no. That babe broke the scales! Not to mention—"

"Hanamura, you can stop now. You don't need to keep acting like this."

The chef in question looked up, not realizing that tears had begun to form at the corners of his eyes. Shinji gave him a comforting look as a small smile graced his lips. This expression suited Hinata's face much more.

"She's broken all of us. But it's over now. She can't hurt us anymore."

"How do you know?! How do you know she won't find us again?! That I won't become that plumb crazeh serial killah and go 'round killin' off anythin' I lay may eyes on?!"

He was getting hysterical now, reverting to using his hometown's nigh indecipherable dialect. How Shinji wished that Monomi were here to act as a translator. He coughed into his hand, grabbing Teruteru's attention and interrupting him mid-spiel.

"You don't have to worry about her ever finding us again because she's dead."

"What? … _Whaaaaaaat?!_ No way. No no no no _waaaaaaay_! What kinda monster was able to kill a beast like her?!"

"Makoto Naegi. Super High School Level Hope. Nanami, show him a picture."

Nanami, who had been silently watching the exchange until that moment, quickly nodded her head and brought a recent photo up.

Teruteru scrutinized the boy on the image. He was short and skinny. No muscles. Looked too nice to hurt a fly. Had the kind of youthful baby face that could only rival Kuzuryuu's. There was no way this kid killed Enoshima.

"There's no way this kid killed Enoshima."

"But he did. I'd go into details, but quite frankly, I'm too tired to. Hajime would probably explain it better anyway. For now, it looks like you've finally calmed down, so I'll be removing your bonds and you can finally get your first meal. Don't think I haven't missed all those stomach growls while we were talking."

Teruteru felt his body relax for the first time since waking up. He felt…hopeful. As Shinji leaned down to remove his bonds, he decided to try something one last time. For old time's sake.

"Wait, before you untie me, how's about you hand-feed me inst—"

"I see, so you're not hungry. Very well, I'll go inform Hajime and the others to—"

"Wait, wait! I was just kidding! Please let me out! I'm staaarviiiing!"

* * *

After finally being released, Teruteru tested out and flexed his limbs. He noted that he was much taller than he remembered, and his fingers were less thick.

"Hey, Nanami-san? Is there a room in here?"

"Ah, I think I can handle that."

Nanami went off screen for a moment as the monitor shut off, allowing Teruteru to take in his new physique.

"Holy crap. Holy craaaaaap I'm hot!" The chef turned excitedly to Shinji, face brimming with confidence. "Hey, with this new hot bod, do you think that I—"

"No."

"But I didn't even finish my sentence! What I was going to say is—"

"Still no."

"But—"

"No."

"Not even—"

"Denied."

Teruteru pouted but gave up. Shinji was certainly much more stubborn here than in the game world. But then he broke out into a grin again because he remembered. He was free now. There was no more despair that could hold him down. He could finally move forward.

* * *

 **Outside of the room**

Hajime set down a box of syringes with a huff.

"I'm glad we didn't have to use these again."

"Wait", Souda said, stopping Hajime, "I think we should keep at least one—no five, just in case."

* * *

 **Omake**

Teruteru stared intently at Kuzuryuu.

"W-what?!"

"You know, I've been wondering for a while now…But why haven't you been using curse words?"

Seated next to him, Hinata let out an poorly disguised snort.

"Wha?! Well, uh…That's because…"

Teruteru followed Kuzuryuu's line of sight towards a jar labeled "swear jar*".

"Oh, I see. So, which one of your parents came up with it?

Kuzuryuu let out a stream of garbled words at that. Seeing his friend unable to come up with a coherent response, Hinata answered for him. "Our Mom's."

* * *

A/N:

*Shinji addresses Hinata by his first name now since they have the same surname.

*Like Shinji, Hanamura got skinnier post-despair. If you're having a hard time picturing him being attractive, just look up his beta design.

* Half of the contributed money is from Kuzuryuu. Proceeds will be going to the Restore the Togami Corporation fund.

So, you know how I said this story would only be six chapters long? Ahahaha...About that…surprise! I lied! I initially planned to just kind of chunk all of the characters awakenings together, but then I realized that that wouldn't be very fair since Shinji kind of sort of had a chapter to himself. So uh…Now I don't really know how long this is gonna be. What have I gotten myself into…


	5. Regret

**Chapter 5: Regret**

Kuzuryuu tries his best not to look anxious at breakfast the next day. The keyword here is _tries_.

Hajime takes a seat next to the gangster, not missing the way that his shoulders stiffen up slightly.

"You okay?"

Kuzuryuu scoffs. "Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be?" He proceeds to take a hold of his chopsticks, trying to pry the two sticks apart. His growing nervousness, however, causes the sticks to split unevenly. Kuzuryuu curses under his breath as he gets up to grab another pair. Hajime is kind enough not to mention the swear jar.

Once Kuzuryuu is seated again, Hajime grabs the pair of chopsticks before the shorter teen can have a chance to destroy another pair in his haste.

"H-hey! What do you think you—"

Hajime snaps the chopsticks cleanly in half. "Here."

"Th-thanks." Kuzuryuu accepts the eating utensil and proceeds to start on his breakfast. As he's taking a bite out of some fish, Hajime drops the bomb.

"You're afraid of seeing Koizumi again, aren't you?"

Kuzuryuu chokes. Hajime offers him some water.

"Wh-wh-what the he-"

"Swear jar."

"Heck. What the heck are you talking about?!"

"You're not fooling anyone"; Souda joined the conversation, setting his tray down in front of the yakuza.

"Did Sonia boot you out of her table again?" Kuzuryuu asked callously.

"Wh—N-no — Yes."

The two boys gave him sympathetic looks, which somehow served to further irritate the mechanic. "B-but this time it was because she thought that I'd do a great job cheering up our little yakuza here!"

" _ **Little?"**_

"I mean big! You have _such_ a big presence."

Kuzuryuu gave him one last glare before settling back down.

Hajime mouthed "Nice save."

Before an uncomfortable silence could settle over them, Kuzuryuu finally spoke up. "Hey, will you all be willing to hear me out?"

The two taller teens let out encouraging smiles, relieved that their troubled gangster was finally willing to open up.

"What I'm afraid of most is that she won't make a fuss about it. She won't yell, she won't get mad. But she won't acknowledge me either. I mean…I definitely deserve that…But I'd much rather get yelled at."

"Oh my~ I didn't expect our little Kuzuryuu to be the masochistic type~" Hanamura appeared out of nowhere, quite literally barging into the group's conversation. And just as abruptly, Hajime and Kuzuryuu shot up from their seats. Kuzuryuu rammed into Hanamura's back, while Hajime elbowed his stomach. It was as painful as it sounds. Shinji recovered the remains shortly after. The conversation resumed as if no interruption had been made.

Souda picked up where they left off. "Wait— dude, how do you even know Koizumi's going to wake up next?"

The other two teens stared at him blankly.

"Wh-what?"

Hajime cleared his throat. "Souda, didn't you notice a pattern to the order our classmates have woken up in?"

Souda thought for a moment. "Well…first was Shinji…then Hanamura…"

"…"

"…"

" _Oh."_

Kuzuryuu stared at the swear jar for a good solid minute before deciding that it probably wasn't worth it and chose to keep quiet.

Souda awkwardly scratched his cheek, trying to find the right comforting words to say. "So…you want Koizumi to yell at you? Why?"

"Guilt." Hajime supplied simply, crossing his arms. "If Kuzuryuu doesn't get some kind of punishment for what he did, then he'll never be relieved of his guilty conscience."

The mechanic turned to the shorter teen, who solemnly nodded his head in agreement.

"Oh…I think I kind of get it now…But man, if everyone keeps waking up in this order, then right after Koizumi, you're gonna have to deal with Pekoyama next and then—"

"Souda?"

"Hm? What is it, Hinata?"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

Hajime let out a tired sigh. "Look, Kuzuryuu. We don't know when exactly Koizumi could wake up. It could be today, tomorrow, next week, or even next month. For now, instead of worrying about what Koizumi will say to you, why don't you worry about what you're going to say to her?"

"What… _I_ have to say?"

Hajime smiled. "Give her the best apology any yakuza boss from any generation has ever given!"

Kuzuryuu smiled back weakly. "Y-yeah…" His smile turned more genuine. "Yeah. I will."

Hajime nodded happily before his eyes snapped open in realization and quickly added, "But no disemboweling!"

* * *

The wait was pure torture. A week passed. Then another week. Fuyuhiko had nearly used up the entire notebook he'd been scribbling practice apologies on. He'd even gone to Alter Ego and Nanami to practice on, but Alter Ego's awkward acting ("I-I-I accept your apology! H-how was that? Ah! It wasn't any good, was it?! Master didn't program me with proper dramatic performances…I'm sorry…") and Nanami's surprisingly blunt critiques (It was ok…If I had to compare it to a game…it would be like comparing Final Fantasy XIII to Final Fantasy VII…I know you're capable of doing better), Fuyuhiko felt like his confidence had diminished rather than increased.

While the wait was agonizing, it at least gave him more time to practice. Hinata actually gave good, reasonable criticisms. Hanamura refrained from flirting with anyone since that awkward breakfast interruption two weeks ago. No one relapsed into their despair state for the past week. Naegi and his friends would be coming back to check on them next week. Things were really beginning to look up.

Fuyuhiko cursed himself for letting his guard down. Because, _of course_ , the moment he relaxed his guard would be the exact moment a certain red headed photographer decided to finally wake up.

* * *

Mahiru woke up with a gasp. Her breathing was ragged and her head felt like it had been pounded on repeatedly by a boulder. Feeling restraints enclosed around her body, Mahiru struggled to break free. She yelled for help, confused and scared.

 _Where was she? Who brought here? Where is…Where is…_

She said the name in a whisper. "Junko Enoshima." Then she said the name again, this time louder, with more ferocity. "Junko Enoshima! Junko Enoshima!"

She continued to struggle, feeling an old flame rekindle inside her. It was coming back now. Everything. Her pride. Her fears. Her happiness. Her hope. Her crushed hope. Her despair. Her death.

She screamed and cried and struggled and her head hurt. _It hurt so much_.

The door burst open, and a boy with a sharp cowlick and bright red eyes came rushing in.

" _Kamakura._ " She hissed, not bothering to add a honorific. Mahiru glared daggers at him, an expression that felt so…so _wrong_ on the usually cheerful photographer's face.

Hinata…no, Kamakura, hesitated for a moment before walking closer. Mahiru was still now, eyes following the other occupant's every move. She could feel someone staring at the back of her head, but she refused to break eye contact with the boy in front of her. The boy that had a hand in leading her into despair.

Her memories returned, and with it, a horrid taste left behind by her actions before and after her "death".

* * *

She loved looking at her mother's photos. At the different emotions each one evoked. At the angles and compositions, the people and the places. She was so, so proud of her mother. She wanted to grow up to be just like her.

As she was perusing through a new stack of photos her mother had sent, she heard a loud groan and the sound of blankets rustling and cans clinking. Her father was awake. She gathered up the photos and raced to her room, making sure to lock her door before finally relaxing her guard. She plopped onto her bed and spread out the photos, carefully appraising each one. She tried to ignore the sound of the refrigerator opening and closing. She tried to ignore the sound of her father chugging down several cans of beer. She tried to ignore his incessant knocking and drunken cries for attention. She loved her mother as much as she hated her father.

She came home one day to find her room in shambles. Photos were scattered everywhere, torn, damaged, reeking of alcohol. Her father was at the center of it all, holding a recent photo, a picture she'd taken with all of her classmates during the cultural festival. He stared at it long and hard…before he crumpled it and tossed it aside. That was the last straw. She snapped, threw empty and full bottles at him, yelled and cried. If only her mother were here…If only…

"If only you're dear mother wasn't dead."

There was a girl behind her, not much younger than she. Her hair was tied in pigtails and she wore the same school uniform.

"Hey there! I'm everyone's favorite fashion idol, Junko Enoshima, and I'm here to deliver the news of despaaaaaiiiiir!" The girl stuck her long tongue, raising both arms in front of her with her fingers playfully making the "V" sign.

She looked at the girl, Junko, dumbstruck. Her father finally spoke for the first time since she came home.

"That's not true…Mahiru, you know better than anyone how hard your mother works. Her job keeps her busy and —"

"Blah, blah, blah. You know, your argument would sound a lot more concrete if you weren't stripped down to your underwear and didn't smell like you haven't had a bath in centuries." Junko turned to her, twisted smile still in place.

"You wanna know why you're old man's such a pathetic drunkard? It's cos you're precious mother's been dead for months and he had no idea how to break the news to you!"

"Wha— How did you— Mahiru, no, don't listen to her!"

Her eyes widened and her lips trembled. "Dad…If what you're saying is true…Then where is Mom? Where is she right now?"

Her father hesitated, finding the right words to say. "She's…in Africa."

"Well, that's not exactly a lie", Junko cut in, "her body _is_ still there. It's just not breathing."

"Dad"; she turned pleadingly to her father, "really, where is she? What happened to her? It's been three months since she sent me new pictures. Please…tell me the truth."

Her father turned his head away as tears began to drip down his cheeks.

"N-no…" She felt herself trembling, gripping her arms as if to protect herself from an unknown danger.

Her father's crestfallen face soon turned to one filled with rage. He glared daggers at the intruder. "You. How did you even get that information?! Why are you meddling with our familial affairs?!"

Junko twirled a lock of her hair, looking positively bored. "Because I need your daughter. She's the SHSL Photographer after all, so it'd be great if she could take some photos of me conquering the world with despair."

Junko said it all in a droll tone, as if she'd just announced the brand of socks she'd switched to instead of plans for world domination.

"Honestly though, you're kind of in the way;" the gyaru looked at her father condescendingly, eyes filled with utter disgust. She leaned in closer to him, bending down so that they were nearly eye level. "You didn't keep her mother's death a secret to spare her feelings. You did it because you were afraid that she'd abandon you. You knew that she favored her mother more, so you thought that she'd leave you as soon as the one thing that keeps the two of you under the same roof was taken out of the picture." Junko stood back to her full height, giggling to herself. "That's why you threw a little drunkard's temper tantrum and ruined all your daughter's precious photos! Because you selfishly want her to yourself. To take care of you forever. You don't want her to leave you behind like your wife did. Absolutely _pa - the - tic_."

The younger teen turned to her, smile now more inviting. "So, how's about it? Wanna join my team?"

"Just what are you planning to do with my daughter?! How did you even get in here?! Just…Just what _are_ you?!"

"Ugh, will you shut up old man? I came here through the front door, your daughter was kind enough to leave it unlocked. I don't think I can take much more of this, your expressions are pretty despair inducing, but not enough to fill up my tummy. I'm a growing girl after! 3"

Watching the entire spectacle before her, Mahiru Koizumi felt a sensation she'd never felt before…Was this despair? Despair from what? From losing her mother? From losing her trust in her father? For realizing just how fragile her ties to her family were?

"Hey."

A tall teenage boy with long, dark hair appeared behind Junko. His intense red eyes locked with Mahiru's.

"Oh, Izuru-kun, when'd you get here? Yeesh, maybe I should have taken Matsuda-kun's advice and placed a bell on you or something. It wouldn't be good if you snuck up behind me and killed me in an act of betrayal! Though that would be pretty despair inducing~"

The boy didn't respond, keeping his eyes locked with Mahiru's. "Why is it taking you so long?"

The girl in question looked at him not with fear, but with curiosity. Would she become like this if she succumbed to despair as well? Cold and unfeeling? That certainly sounded better than the jumbled up emotions she was feeling now. Despair, huh? What would her mother have done in her place?

…..

…..

Her mother would have seized this opportunity and created even more spectacular photographs. She'd surpass her mother to honor her death. And as for her selfish father, who'd kept her in the dark…

"I've decided."

"Oh~ I like that look in your eyes. So? You in."

She looked at her father one last time before nodding her head. "Yes—"

"Mahiru! What are you—"

"On one condition. Get rid of him." She pointed a thumb at her father, who stared at her in horror.

Junko jumped up and down excitedly. "Oh, yes, yes! We've been running low on guinea pigs, so he'd make a great addition!" She put a finger to her lip, looking like a child that had just been given a new toy. "I wonder how long he'll last in our new torture room…"

Mahiru Koizumi became a part of SHSL Despair that day. At the time, she'd thought she'd never regret the path she'd chosen. That she'd never regret abandoning her father. But then her old memories returned. Of family picnics. Of her father carrying her up high and laughing gleefully along with her. But maybe it was because she knew deep down inside, that her father really did genuinely love her, that she savored the despair in watching him be tortured to death.

But her greatest regret of all was that she'd never told him she loved him.

* * *

"Um…Koizumi-san?"

Mahiru startles slightly, finally tearing her eyes away from Hina— Kamakura.

"Chiaki-chan…"

The SHSL Gamer is projected on a large screen, innocent and free of the sin that Mahiru and her fellow classmates are guilty of.

Chiaki smiles back, warm and friendly. "It's good to see you again."

Mahiru almost smiles. But then she remembers the brunet behind her. The one with piercing red eyes and words as brutal as his actions. Mahiru feels her frown deeper as she swiftly turns her head back to Kamakura.

"Where's your precious master?"

Kamakura hesitates, and for a split second, he looks almost normal. Like any other ordinary high school boy. But then his red eyes bore into hers again and she remembers all of the despair he's caused. He may have been ordinary once, but the crimes he's committed can never be erased.

"Um, if you're talking about—"

"If you're looking for Enoshima, you're too late. She already kicked the bucket."

The photographer feels herself tear her eyes away from Kamakura once more, zeroing in on a much shorter boy with familiar blond hair and pink, rosy cheeks.

"You."

Kuzuryuu squares his shoulders, as if he's preparing for a barrage of assaults.

"…What happened to your eye?"

She sees the gangster hesitate a little, not at all prepared for her question.

"Um…It got cut."

"By what?"

"…Pekoyama…accidentally cut me when I tried to interfere with her execution."

Mahiru closes her yes as she takes this information in as new memories meld with her old ones. She recalls her supposed last day. Her confrontation with Kuzuryuu. Finding out that her friend killed his younger sister. Feeling guilt over hiding incriminating evidence. Feeling anger over Kuzuryuu killing her friend. Lecturing him despite being the cause for his grief…For the loss of a family member…She should know better than anyone how painful that feeling is. Then everything went black…

Mahiru slowly opens her eyes once more, turning to face her alleged murderer. "…So Pekoyama killed me…"

"Wh—?! No!"

"But you just said that you interfered with her execution. She wouldn't have had an execution if she didn't murder anyone."

"Well, that's true…But Pekoyama…She killed you because of me…So…"

"Technically you killed me."

A shy nod. It looked out of place on the usually brash blond.

Mahiru turned her head away. "Can you two leave me alone for a while? I need time to think. Chiaki-chan, do you think you can fill me in on what I missed?"

"Yes, of course."

Kuzuryuu stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before Kamakura pulled him out of the room.

The redheaded photographer felt herself relax for the first time since waking up. "Boys…They bring nothing but trouble."

* * *

A brunet and blond slumped gloomily at a table inside the cafeteria.

Kazuichi approached them cautiously, "H-hey guys!"

"…"

"Hey, come on, now! Look at the bright side! You didn't have to use a syringe on Koizumi when she woke up! That's like a new record, right?"

Hinata finally spoke up. "Souda?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

Kazuichi slunk back to the rest of his friends, defeated. Maybe Sonia would give him some kind words of encouragement.

"Souda-san, that was most definitely not cool."

Or not.

"Well then, leave it to me!" Hanamura proclaimed, puffing his chest out proudly. "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's cheering people up!" He turned around dramatically, flashing them a wink.

"No." Everyone chorused.

"Wh—"

"I think for now," Shinji began, "we should let them be."

"Yeah, Hinata 2's right!"

"Please don't call me that."

"They probably just need to let off some steam, maybe even eat some more, yeah? Whenever I'm upset, I'm better off being left alone too."

Sonia smiled at them both, nodding in agreement. "Alright. Then for now, let us give them some space."

* * *

After what felt like hours, Kuzuryuu finally broke the near-deafening silence.

"Hey, Hinata?"

"Yeah?"

"We messed up pretty bad, huh?"

"…Yeah."

Kuzuryuu stood up, stretching his limbs a little. "I'm…gonna go take a walk. What about you?"

Hajime lifted his head from his arms, lazily taking about his surroundings. "I guess…a change in scenery would do me some good. I'm gonna go head to the beach."

Kuzuryuu nodded, smiling a little. "I'll go head back to my room." A light blush crept across his cheeks as he mumbled, "Naegi gave me some karinto that I've been saving…so…Um, do you…"

Hajime laughed, appreciating the offer, "It's fine. I'm not very hungry. You go on ahead."

Kuzuryuu nodded back before exiting the room. Hajime followed suit shortly after, feeling much more awake.

* * *

Hajime walked across the sandy beach, taking in the salty air. The distant sounds of a ship's horn broke his reverie and brought his attention to a small, inconspicuous ship. He suddenly recalled the last message Naegi had sent them through Alter Ego and eagerly dashed up the docks, ready to greet his paren— friends. His friends.

Naegi was the first out, waving at Hajime enthusiastically. Kirigiri came down next, giving him a small smile in acknowledgement…No one else came down after. Hajime was perplexed.

"Where's Togami?"

Naegi looked up at him, face scrunching into a frown; "He's, um…tied up at the moment."

"Literally."

"Kirigiri-san!"

Hajime looked at the pair, confused. "Um, could you please elaborate?"

Kirigiri nodded. "Togami-kun's semi-not girlfriend sneezed, and upon seeing him for the first time in a long time, proclaimed that she would lock him up for an undetermined amount of time. Due to strict scheduling, we could not afford to wait for their date to end."

"There's so many things wrong with that story, I don't know even know where to start. First of all, that's not a date. That's sexual harassment."

Naegi looked up anxiously at the detective. "As I thought, we really shouldn't have left Togami-kun behind."

Hajime turned to the younger teen, slightly puzzled, "I'm surprised you were alright with leaving him behind in the first place."

"I never was. Kirigiri-san carried me unto the boat while I was sleeping."

"She what?"

Kirigiri nodded, looking slightly smug. "Like a princess."

They heard the shrill ring of a phone. Kirigiri took hers out and placed it to her ear.

"Hello—"

" _I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ABANDONED—"_

"Wrong number."

"No, that was clearly Togami."

"It's fine. He'll live. He's been through worse. Besides, his semi-not girlfriend promised us that she'd never kill him. She claims that he's too hot to kill."

"That doesn't make me feel better at all."

* * *

Naegi and Kirigiri were met with hugs and yells of "Welcome Back!"

"Huh? Where's skinny Togami?" Owari looked around, hoping to catch sight of the bespectacled progeny.

"Um, well…" Naegi began.

"It's a long story." Kirigiri supplied, wearing a look that advised the others to refrain from asking more questions.

"U-um, more importantly", Naegi began, trying to change the subject, "where are Shinji-kun and Hanamura-kun?"

"I'm right here."

As if appearing from nowhere, Shinji spoke from behind the pair of Future Foundation employees.

"Waaaah! Ah, Shinji-kun!" Nagi regained his footing, taking a closer look at the SHSL Impostor; "You really _do_ look like Hinata-kun!"

Kirigiri nodded in agreement. "As expected of the SHSL Impostor."

Shinji flushed slightly at the praise, mumbling a soft "Thank you."

Naegi looked around once more. "Ah, but where's Hanam—"

It happened in seconds.

Kirigiri grabbed Naegi's arm, pulling him out of harm's way as she pulled a syringe from her jacket's pocket and placed it firmly on the arm of their oncoming attacker.

There was a loud thud as Hanamura's lean body fell to the floor.

….

"Um, Kirigiri-san? Why did you—?"

"I sensed danger."

Shinji nodded in agreement. "As expected of the SHSL Detective. You've got great instincts."

* * *

Chiaki fidgeted slightly, looking almost anxious.

"Chiaki-chan, what's wrong?" Mahiru asked, now much calmer after having some time to gather her thoughts.

"Um, Koizumi-san? It seems that two of my friends from the Future Foundation are here to see you.

"The Future Foundation? Oh right, the organization Chiaki-chan works for, right? Sure, I don't mind seeing them."

Chiaki nodded happily, looking relieved. There was a loud click as the doors to the room opened, revealing a purple haired girl wearing a black coat and matching skirt and a brunet dressed in a black suit.

The brunet spoke first, wearing a friendly smile "Um, Koizumi-san right? My name is Makoto Naegi and this", he gestured to his right, indicating the girl next to him, "is Kyouko Kirigiri-san. It's nice to meet you."

Mahiru nodded back. "Likewise."

"Um…How are you feeling?"

"Terrible."

Naegi let out an awkward laugh. "Thank you for your honesty."

Mahiru smiled a little. He seemed like a good kid. Mahiru was finding it harder to believe Chiaki's story upon meeting the SHSL Hope himself. The kid looked like he couldn't hurt a fly.

Kirigiri walked forward, kneeling so that she was eye level with the photographer. "How much of your memory have you regained?"

Mahiru winced, feeling her head ache at the thought of having to sift through old and new memories again.

"I've been getting them back little by little, but I feel like there are some pieces missing. I know that I used— am a member of SHSL Despair. I know that I've…committed crimes that I'm not proud of. And I know…that I'm supposed to be dead."

Kirigiri nodded, taking in the information. She looked up at Chiaki, who had been silently watching the exchange with a worried look, "Nanami-san, what is your analysis on Koizumi-san's psyche?"

"Um…well, she had some relapses every now and then…But I was able to calm her down whenever I showed her some old photos that she took."

Kirigiri nodded agin, looking satisfied. "You're definitely handling your reawakening better than the last two."

"You mean Hanamura-kun and Toga— I mean, Shinji-kun?"

"Yes. I'd say now would be a good time to remove you from those bonds."

" _No!"_

"K-Koizumi-san?!" Naegi exclaimed, surprised at the redhead's sudden outburst.

"I-I'm sorry…It's just…I don't trust myself yet. It might be safer for the others if I'm kept here for now…"

"Koizumi-san", Kirigiri began, standing up to her full height, "I think you have another visitor. Kuzuryuu-kun, how long do you plan on hiding behind the door?"

"Urk."

"Naegi-kun."

"R-right." Naegi bowed slightly before following Kirigiri out the door.

"Good luck", Naegi whispered, patting the gangster lightly on the shoulder.

Mahiru waited as the short gangster slowly moved from behind his hiding spot. It was strange, seeing the normally condescending blond acting so reserved. He walked forward, slowly, as if he were walking straight into death. Mahiru held back sarcastic laughter that threatened to bubble out her throat.

"Are you here to apologize?" She asked, smirking slightly.

"Yes."

Kuzuryuu got down on his knees and performed the most perfect dogeza* that Mahiru had ever seen.

"I am truly sorry for causing your death. I don't care if you don't forgive me…Actually, I wouldn't blame you at all if you never forgave me. But I want you to know how truly sorry I am!"

He'd changed. The Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu she knew, not just from the game, but from their time spent as classmates…He never would have embarrassed himself like this. He was always too haughty…too proud to admit his own mistakes…Just like her. Mahiru felt her eyes tear up a little. She wanted to be able to change like that as well. To be able to face her own mistakes head-on and admit to it. To have the will and determination to be able to rectify it.

Kuzuryuu finally looked up, rising slightly from his position. "W-woah! You're crying! I guess…you must really hate me huh?" He started to get up from the ground, eyes now directed to the floor. "I'll just go and—"

"Stop!"

Kuzuryuu raised his eyes again, eyes widening in surprise at the determined look Mahiru directed at him. The photographer smiled a little, for the first time in what felt like years. "I…" She took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. "I forgive you."

A look of relief and happiness spread across Kuzuryuu's face, making him look even more child-like. Mahiru wish she could have captured it on film. "Um…Do you think you could help me get out of these bonds? I have something I'd like to say to…Hinata-kun…as well."

* * *

Hajime waited nervously outside of the room with the rest of his friends. Everyone stayed silent, with Naegi saying a few encouraging words every now and again. Even Hanamura looked subdued, eyes sullenly scanning floor tiles. He was probably looking back at his own reawakening.

The doors finally opened, and Hajime felt his heart leap up to his throat. He turned around and to see Kuzuryuu awkwardly supporting Koizumi. Her face was friendlier now, and Kuzuryuu looked as if a heavy weight had been finally lifted from his shoulders.

"Koizumi-san!" Sonia cried, rushing to her friend's side.

"Sonia-chan! It's been a while!"

Koizumi was smiling now, and that expression definitely suited the photographer much more than the venomous glares she'd been wearing earlier.

The two girls shared a hug before the rest of their classmates greeted her. Hajime hung back, still too nervous to approach her after their less than stellar re-introduction earlier that day. But seeing her so happy, her teasing laughter at Hanamura's new appearance, giving out big sister-like advice to Owari and Shinji, making jabs at Souda…Even if she never forgave him, Hajime felt content seeing the red head act like her old self again.

Hajime's not sure how long he was lost in thought, but a slight tug on sleeve snaps him out of it. He looks down at Naegi, who smiles sheepishly before pointing slightly to the direction in front of him. Hajime faces whatever's ahead…And whatever's ahead is a slightly irritated redhead, no longer needing the support of the SHSL yakuza.

"Hinata-kun, I wanted to tell you something and— _Why are you crying_?!"

"Huh?" Hajime lifts his hand to his face and feels wet droplets cascading down his cheeks. He laughs slightly. "I guess I was just really happy to hear you call me that again."

Koizumi's face turns as red as her hair, stuttering and losing her words. "I— Tha— Well—" She takes a deep breath. Closes her eyes then opens them again. She looks at Hajime with renewed determination. "I'm sorry…for the way I acted earlier. We were all deceived by Junko Enoshima…We were all victims…I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. So…will you accept my apology?"

Hajime smiles at her. "Of course."

Naegi stands next to Kirigiri, looking fondly at the older teens. "I told you didn't, I? They'd be fine."

Kirigiri smiles back, enclosing her hands over his. "I never doubted you for a second".

* * *

 **Omake**

"Hey Naegi…Do you think a relationship between a human and a computer program would work out?"

Naegi stared at him blankly, and Hajime was now deeply regretting starting this conversation.

"Hinata-kun…Alter Ego's a boy, you know."

Hajime felt himself flush. "I- I know that! Nanami told me that he's her older brother!"

Naegi looked relieved then. "Oh…is that so? Huh? So then, if it's not Alter Ego…Then could it be…"

 _He figured it out huh…Well, this is the guy that defeated Junko Enoshima. I'd expect no less—_

"Usami?"

"You've got that wrong! You've got that _so_ wrong!"

 _How did this guy beat Enoshima? How did this guy not get killed?!_

He heard quiet giggling next to him. "I'm just kidding, Hinata-kun! It's Nanami-san, right? I could tell based on your interactions in the Neo World Program. The two of you became so close that Nanami-san was able to defy her own programming."

Hajime felt himself flush again. "O-oh. Right."

"And it doesn't look like you have any love rivals, so that's good".

"Y-yeah."

"Then, I suppose the best advice I can give you would be to avoid hammers."

"What?"

"Also…I guess Kirigiri-san and I won't be expecting any grandkids from you."

" _What?!"_

* * *

* **Dogeza** (土下座 "sitting right on the ground" ) is an element of Japanese manners by kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate oneself as touching one's head to the floor. It's often used as a form of apology and is considered embarrassing since it tends to affect one's pride. Basically, if someone does this, they're telling the world "I was wrong!"

Sorry this took so long. I've been busy finishing up projects (and playing Tales of Link in between to de-stress orz) but those are all done and I'm a free woman now! Woot! So hopefully, I can post the next chapter sooner!


	6. Loyalty

Once again, sorry for the long wait! Stuff happened, and I had to put writing this chapter on hold, but hopefully it won't take as long finishing the next chapter…is what I always say, but I always take a long time anyway. Sorry for all the delays, and thanks for sticking with me despite it!

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Loyalty**

They live out their lives in peace for the next few weeks. Koizumi quickly acclimatizes to her new environment, fitting snugly into the chore schedule and falling into step with her friends' daily routines. Unlike the others, there's no noticeable difference in the photographer's appearance. Her hair is still short, freckles still visible, and temper as fiery as ever. Hajime is just relieved that she doesn't have any scars peeking beneath her sleeves.

Naegi and Kirigiri's presence is warmly received and an absolute blessing. With just one look, Kirigiri can render even the rowdiest teen (Hanamura) to a stuttering mess. And Naegi, bless his heart, can stop a fight from erupting with a pleading smile and homemade pastries (and Hajime's sure the younger boy somehow coerced Hanamura into either making said pastries or having the SHSL chef personally teaching him how to bake). Every now and again, Hajime catches Kuzuryuu fidgeting from the corner of his eye, but someone, be it Naegi and his kind words, Sonia and her friendly chatter, or Koizumi with her infectious smile, someone on this island always finds a way to bring a smile back on the short blond's face.

They're all assuming that Pekoyama will wake next. And they're all assuming that everything will go well, so instead of dreading it, all of them, Kuzuryuu especially, busy themselves to make the island look as welcoming as possible for their bespectacled friend's return.

A few more weeks pass when another boat arrives at the island and a familiar blond disembarks. This time, they're all there to greet Togami, though Kirigiri had to be physically dragged by Naegi all the way to the docks. The progeny acknowledges them all with a nod, raising a brow at the students he had yet to be introduced to, his eyes lingering on Shinji in particular. His frown deepens when his eyes finally meet Kirigiri's.

" _You—"_

"It's great to see you again, Togami-kun!" Naegi greets, stretching his arms out like a barrier keeping the two prickly teens separate.

"Naegi, move."

"E-eh? But, um -uh—"

"Naegi-kun, it's alright. I can handle this."

"B-but—"

"Yes, of course you can handle this. Because you're just _so_ good at handling things. Like leaving behind your comrades and—"

A loud screech halts Togami's rant. A stunned silence settles over the group.

"W-was that—?!" Kuzuryuu exclaims, breathing coming out in gasps.

Hajime nods. "We should go."

The group takes off in a dash, making a beeline straight to the source of the incessant shrieks.

* * *

Emotions surge, weaving about in large waves, intermingling with each other and leaving one Peko Pekoyama in an incredibly unstable state. She continues to shriek in a vain effort to suppress her emotions. The aching in her head, her chest, the sheer _despair_ of it all.

She hears footsteps from behind the doors in the room she's trapped in. She hears panicked mumbling, hushed whispers. Finally, the doors open, and someone enters. The only person that could calm her down in her frenzied state.

"Young Master…"

"Peko…"

Her young master, Fuyuhiko, approaches her carefully, slowly, as if she were a stray cat wary of an oncoming predator. By the time Fuyuhiko closes the distance between them, Peko notices the tears staining his cheeks.

"Young…Master…"

Peko fears wet droplets trickling from her eyes as a small smile graces her lips. Fuyuhiko mirrors her smile, and it's like they're children again, holding hands, ready to take on the world.

But the world rejected them.

Peko's eyes widen suddenly, and her lips tilt downward. Hey eyes widen as she beings to fruitlessly fight against her bonds again, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Peko! Peko, calm down! It's me, Fuyuhiko! Peko!"

Fuyuhiko's pleas are drowned out by Peko's incessant screeching. Memories begin to resurface and Peko starts to remember that horrid laughter…Her young master's twisted laughter…

"Get out of the way!"

A girl with long purple hair pushes Fuyuhiko aside as she brandishes what looks to be a syringe. Peko's eyes widen in fear, recognizing what the medical instrument is commonly used for. She utters one last scream…Before everything goes black.

* * *

Fuyuhiko is on his knees, staring wordlessly at his childhood friend's unconscious body. He tries not to stare too hard at the visible scars on Peko's face. He fervently hopes that there aren't any more beneath her clothes.

"Kuzuryuu…"

Fuyuhiko jumps slightly at the sudden contact. He looks up to see Hinata, face scrunched up in concern. The taller teen's hand is laid atop his shoulder, and it's then that Fuyuhiko realizes that he's been shaking. Pathetic…

"No, you're not." Hinata says, voice soothing.

"Oh…I said that out loud? That makes me even more…"

"No, you're not!" Koizumi yells, marching up to him and firmly planting her feet in front of him, hands on hips. "You're not pathetic, so knock it off with this pity party!" Her face softens as she lowers her arms. "Stop worrying. We were all like that when we first woke up. Give her some time, alright?"

Fuyuhiko finds himself nodding along in agreement, and just like that, the shaking stops. He lets out a shaky breath.

"…Thank you."

Koizumi's eyes widen in surprise. "Woah…Kuzuryuu thanking me? You really have changed!"

Fuyuhiko blanches, face turning bright pink before turning his head away in embarrassment.

Kirigiri regards them all with a rueful smile as she pockets the syringe.

"Kirgiri-san, are you alright?!" Naegi asks, running up to her in worry. The others all file in afterwards, following in Naegi's suit.

 _Like ducklings following their mother,_ Fuyuhiko thinks to himself.

The rest of his friends break away from their moth— _friend_ , and make a beeline to Fuyuhiko, all wearing the same concerned looks as Hinata.

"Kirgiri, Naegi asked you a question." Togami adds curtly, tone still obviously displeased with how she left him behind. Kirigiri decides to ignore it, focusing her attention on Naegi. "I'm fine, Naegi-kun. Though I can't say the same for Pekoyama-san…"

"Hey, yeah," Souda adds, "Do you think we should…" The mechanic looks hesitantly at Fuyuhiko.

"Wh-what?" The gangster asks, prompting the other teen to continue.

"W-well…Maybe Fuyuhiko should stay here until Pekoyama wakes up?"

"Absolutely not!" Togami argues, voice rising. "Even with Alter Ego and Nanami monitoring them, we can't guarantee Kuzuryuu's safety!"

"I don't see why not." Kirigiri agrees easily. She walks up to Fuyuhiko, ignoring Togami's indignant protests.

"Do you still have those syringes I entrusted with you?"

"Y-yes…"

Kirigiri nods, satisfied. "Good. Then the next time Pekoyama-san wakes up and you feel like you can't handle what she's doing or saying, use it. If you feel that you need to call for back-up, ask Nanami-san or Alter Ego."

Fuyuhiko finds himself wordlessly nodding in agreement. "O-okay…"

"Kirigiri!"

"Togami-kun, we should have a word. Outside."

Togami's frown deepens, his mouth twisting to an almost sinister smile. "Oh, I've been waiting for this."

Naegi looks absolutely torn. "K-Kirigiri-san! Togami-kun!"

"Naegi-kun, you keep an eye on everyone else." Kirigiri leaves, with Togami wordlessly following behind. Togami stops abruptly in front of the door before turning around to address Naegi.

"Naegi, at the very least, know this. You did nothing wrong. I hold no grudge against you."

He turned around just as swiftly and made his exit.

Naegi looked helplessly at his friends' retreating backs. "Oh no…I hope they don't start fighting…"

Hanamura sidled up to Naegi and everyone else tensed. They readied themselves for whatever inappropriate comment they were sure the chef would make.

"Naegi-kun, why don't I teach you that new recipe now? You look a little stressed, and baking always helps calm down…"

Naegi looked up at him, smiling softly. "Y-yes…That might be for the best…"

Hanamura turned around, addressing the rest of the group.

"You heard him guys, let's get going! Kuzryuu-kun!"

"H-huh? Yeah?!"

"We'll leave Pekoyama-san to you!"

Everyone else looked stunned. Hanamura was acting…mature for once. Hinata let out a light chuckle as he moved to follow Hanamura and Naegi out of the room.

"Heh…Still a Momma's boy, huh?" he muttered.

Everyone else followed suit, wearing fond grins.

Needless to say, Fuyuhiko was at a loss for words.

"…What just happened?"

* * *

She waited patiently for Fuyuhiko after school. Ever since his sister's untimely death, he'd been less responsive. To his parents, to his classmates, even towards her. She'd asked him time and again if there was anything she could do, _anything_ at all, that would alleviate the emotional pain he was currently suffering through, but every single time he would just look up at her an smile sadly…As if he were afraid he'd lose her to.

But there was no way Fuyuhiko would ever lose her. She was his tool, to use as he saw fit. Until the day she died, her young master would never have to worry about losing her. She tightens her fist, brow furrowed in concern. Useless. Absolutely useless. She can't be an effective tool for her young master like this!

Her eyes snap to attention at the distinct sound of Fuyuhiko's footsteps drawing closer. He emerges from the school building, looking the worst she's ever seen him. Even worse than when news of his sister's death had reached his ears.

"Y-young master!" She's at his side in an instant. Her young master quickly looks up at the sound of her voice.

"Peko…" Then, slowly, tears pool around his eyes. "Peko…What should I do? I…I didn't mean to…But I — I—"

"Young master, what's wrong?! Are you hurt?!"

"No…No, I'm not the one that's hurt…I…Peko, I killed someone."

Peko is silent, taking in what her young master had just told her. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Has anyone found the body yet?"

"H-huh? N-no…Not yet."

"Alright. I'll go inspect the scene and ensure that no evidence can be linked to you."

Fuyuhiko looked up at her, confused. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I will eradicate any evidence that could link you to this murder."

"B-but…Peko, I killed someone!"

Peko nods in affirmation, "Yes, I know. And that is why we cannot allow anyone to find out that you are the culprit."

"B-but…I-I deserve it…To be caught and punished."

"Young master must succeed his father as the heir to the Kuzuryuu clan. You cannot achieve such a thing if you are imprisoned."

"That's…true, but…I don't like this….Getting away with murder just because of my name…" Fuyuhiko is sobbing now, words becoming incoherent. "B-because I lost my cool." Then, suddenly, his eyes begin to burn with rage. "All because she murdered my little sister! If it weren't for— if it weren't for that bit—mffffff"

Peko pulled Fuyuhiko aside, muffling his mouth with her hand. Dragging the shorter teen along with her, she quickly hid behind a wall as footsteps passed them by.

A short brunet came into view, chatting excitedly with a taller, black haired girl.

"You really helped me out there, Ikusaba-san!"

The taller girl flushed slightly, turning her head away. "It was fine. Those boxes weren't very heavy."

"But still, for me to run into you like that, I guess I really am lucky! I probably wouldn't have been able to carry all of those boxes by myself to the faculty room. Ah, I know! Maizono-san recommended a new crepe shop that opened recently. Would you like to go together? It'll be my treat, as thanks for your help today!"

The girl continued to avert her eyes as she responded. "Th-that sounds nice. Th-then, I'll take you up on that offer.

The boy bounced on his heels excitedly as he grabbed the other girl's hand. "Alright, then we'd better hurry before the store closes!"

The taller girl let out a light chuckle as she let the tiny brunet haul her away.

Peko let out a relieved sigh as she loosened her hold on Fuyuhiko.

"Let's hope those two were the last students in the building. Young Master, you go on ahead. I'll clean up here and—"

" _No._ "

Peko turned, and her eyes widened in surprise at the change in Fuyuhiko's appearance. His expression was one she'd never seen on his face before…One that looked like…

Despair.

Both Peko and Fuyuhiko silently cleaned the crime scene later that night. When they returned home, Fuyuhiko made up a lie that he'd gone to a crepe shop with Peko and their classmates after school. His father looked aghast at the idea of his heir spending time at a sweets shop, but a glance at a picture of his now deceased daughter caused his expression to soften a little.

"I see…The other gangs are leaving us alone for now…after what happened…But be careful with being caught in those kinds of places next time."

And with that, he turned around and left.

()()()()()()

The body was found eventually, but it was never linked to Fuyuhiko. But since then, Fuyuhiko's entire demeanor had changed. His smiles became manic, his eyes twisted, and his words were almost always unpleasant. Not that his vocabulary was exactly clean before, but now he never had a kind word to say.

Peko had been sticking to him like glue, even moreso than usual. She worried that if she didn't keep an eye on him, she'd lose him permanently. And then, the incident happened.

Peko stood by Fuyuhiko the entire time. She watched as he killed loyal subordinates. She helped kill them at his request. He killed and killed and Peko, being the loyal tool that she was, killed alongside him. Everyday, nothing but red, red, red.

Fuyuhiko, laughing that stupid bear's signature laugh. His face, voice, words, no longer recognizable to her.

Peko wasn't sure when she fell into despair. She wasn't sure if it was after Fuyuhiko proclaimed his undying loyalty to Junko Enoshima. She wash't sure if it was after he broke down sobbing, curled into a fetal position, after news of Junko Enoshima's death blared on every single television screen. She wasn't sure if it was when her young master gouged his own eye out and replaced it with Junko Enoshima's. But she knows…She knows that her loyalty never belonged to Junko Enoshima. Her despair…The source had been Fuyuhiko.

Her despair was Fuyuhiko's despair.

Seeing him change from being rough but soft hearted to a nigh unrecognizable, sadistic man…It brought upon the utmost despair to her. Seeing her young master like that…made her unbelievably happy.

* * *

Fuyuhiko awoke with a start, his breathing ragged. He hated remembering those days…Filled with nothing but despair and blood shed…

He feels something warm and familiar pressing against his hand.

"Are you alright, Young Master?"

Fuyuhiko looks down to see Peko, awake, smiling, holding his hand like she used to when they were kids and he'd wake up from a bad dream.

Fuyuhiko can feel tears brimming at the corner of his eyes as his mouth twists into a smile.

"Yeah…I'm okay now."

* * *

In the kitchen, covered from head to toe in flour, Hajime Hinata was the current object of ridicule.

"Bahahaha! Ah, man Hinata, you should see how ridiculous you look right now!" Souda yelled in between fits of laughter. "Hey, Koizumi, how's about a picture?"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Koizumi already had her camera whipped out from who knows were and was rapidly taking pictures of a snow white, unamused Hajime.

"Alright, that's enough guys." Naegi said as he handed Hajime a towel.

"Yup, you heard him!" Hanamura agreed. "Besides, food is a precious commodity! You should be more careful next time, Hinata-kun! If anything's too heavy for you to carry by yourself, just ask one of us to help!"

"Holy crap, Hanamura actually said something sensible."

"Kazuichi-san, I believe you just said a 'no-no' word. Must he relieve his pockets of extra yen, Naegi-san?"

Souda looked aghast at being called out by his precious princess, and from the sympathetic look Naegi was giving him, the brunet assumed that that was punishment enough.

"I'll let it side this time."

Everyone broke into wide grins and smiles immediately after. Hajime set back to his assigned task after cleaning up.

At the moment, they were all baking. Or, "stress-relief baking", as Hanamura so elegantly put it. So, here they all were, donning aprons and wearing more comfortable clothing. Naegi had ditched his jacket and tie. Souda was out of his usual yellow jumpsuit and now wore a pair of jeans and a sleeveless white top. Mahiru wore a plain red t-shirt and brown shorts. Sonia wore a simple black dress. Shinji was wearing what appeared to be a traditional chef's uniform. When asked about it, he simply said; "There was a time when I hosted Hell's Kitchen", and that was all they could get out of him. Hanamura wore his familiar chef's uniform. Owari was not allowed in the kitchen but was at the very least, allowed to stand guard in front of the kitchen doors in case some one needed a taste tester. Hajime himself opted to wear a green polo shirt in stead of his usual uniform.

It was the most fun Hajime had had in a while that he nearly forgot about the awkward tension between Kirigiri and Togami earlier that morning…At least until—

"Yooooo!" Owari yelled, barging inside the kitchen.

"Owari-san?!" Hanamura exclaimed, "You're not supposed to be here!"

"Calm down! I'm just here to— Woah, look at that spread! Can I eat that and that and tha—"

"This is exactly the reason why you're banned from this kitchen."

Naegi walked up to Owari, "Owari-san, what's wrong?"

"Hm? Oh, right, right. Kirigiri and Togami made up.

Naegi's face instantly lit up. "Really?! Are they outside?"

The gymnast nodded, smiling along with the luckster. "Yep! They told me to come get ya. Said they were sorry for worryin' ya."

Naegi sprinted out the door, looking the happiest Hajime had seen him in a while.

His two friends greeted him with small smiles.

"Sorry for worrying you, Naegi-kun."

Naegi looked between the two of them, relieved that they peacefully made up.

Togami adjusted his glasses. "Yes, well, Kirigiri formally apologized…And I suppose if I had been in her shoes, I probably would have taken the same course of actions." He looked down to address Naegi.

"Anyway— What are you wearing?!"

The luckster looked down, only just now remembering the baking task he'd abandoned. He chuckled lightly, scratching his right cheek.

"I was baking with the others…"

"I…see…Anyway, I hadn't the time to bring it up earlier but, here. I brought what you requested."

Naegi's eyes lit up at what he saw.

* * *

"Peko…I'm—"

"Young Master, I'm sorry."

"H-huh?"

"All those years ago…I should have comforted you. I shouldn't have encouraged that murder all those years ago…" Tears were spilling from Peko's eyes as her hand tightened around Fuyuhiko's. "Rather than be your tool…I should have been your friend."

Peko watches as Fuyuhiko, the Fuyuhiko she's always known, breaks down in tears and grabs both of her hands in his.

"Peko…That's all I've ever needed… _You're_ all I've ever needed."

And now Peko is bawling because this… _This_ is what she'd always wanted. To be needed as a person, not a tool. To be needed by the person she cared for most. The person she _loved_ the most.

"Young Mast—"

"No. Not Young Master." Fuyuhiko flashes her a teary smile. "Fuyuhiko. Just call me Fuyuhiko."

In the past, Peko would have protested against this. To address her young master so casually would have been unthinkable. She would have argued that she had no right to do so. But now, looking at the face of her childhood friend, smiling oh so innocently…She finds herself agreeing easily.

"Yes…Fuyuhiko…"

"And please...Let me apologize too. Let me apologize for dragging you with me down into despair. For turning you into a murderer. Let me take responsibility for the way I treated you. You have always been more than a tool to me, and I should never have forced you to kill...Peko, I'm so, so, sorry."

"Fuyuhiko...Thank you, but I chose to follow you. My despair...it was the same as yours. Whatever brought despair to you...It's what brought despair to me...I allowed...No, we allowed ourselves to be manipulated by Junko Enoshima. But not anymore." Peko's eyes hardened as she addressed Fuyuhiko with newfound resolve. "Earlier, I was writhing in pain, remembering all of those dark times...But what brought me the most pain, was remembering how much I enjoyed seeing you in despair. I never want to feel like that again...So..."

"We can start over". Fuyuhiko said, smiling gently. "All of us. I'm not saying we forget about all of the crimes that we did...But for now, let's start over and build our own future. The ones that _we_ decide."

Peko felt herself smile as well. "Yes...I would like that..." Her expression became troubled. "But...Koiuzumi..."

Fuyuhiko tightened his grip around her hands. "I can't speak for her, but I'll be with you the whole time. How's that sound?"

The swordswoman nodded in agreement, though she still looked unsure.

"Um…should I leave?"

"Gah! Nanami?!" Fuyuhiko jolted upright, but his hands were still firmly encased around Peko's

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

A young girl peeked from behind Nanami, looking slightly exasperated. "Chiaki, we should have just let them be…"

"Ah, you're right…Sorry…"

"N-no, it's fine!" Fuyuhiko exclaims, face turning a brilliant shade of red. We should tell Naegi and the others anyway, so that we can get them to take these stupid bonds off of Peko.

"Um, Youn— Fuyuhiko…Before I'm released, can you please tell me what happened while I was asleep?"

* * *

"Hewo! Good morning everyone!~"

The students in the cafeteria all cringed at the sound of the familiar voice.

"M-Monomi?!" Hajime exclaimed.

"No! Absolutely not! I'm Usami, see?"

Indeed she was. Usami looked exactly like she did before Monokuma had attacked her during the game.

Souda looked up at Togami, who held the phone that Usami appeared in.

"You…really didn't need to go through all the trouble of bringing her back…"

"Hwawawa?! You guys…Even after all this time? You still hate me?"

"I-it was a joke!" Souda exclaimed. "Of course we don't hate you! You helped take down that Enoshima AI!"

"R-really? You all love me?"

Sonia smiled, nodding her head excitedly. "Of course we do, Monomi!"

"It's Usami!"

"Um…I hate to interrupt whatever's going on in here…"

The students all turned at the sound of Kuzuryuu's voice.

"Kuzuryuu-kun? Shouldn't you be with Peko-chan?!" Koizumi asked. "Did something happen to her?"

"Yeah." Kuzuryuu flashed them all the brightest smile they'd ever seen him wear. "She's awake and ready to join the rest of us."

Hajime broke out into a grin. "Then what are we all standing around here for? Let's go and greet her!"

—

Peko was greeted with hugs and warm smiles. Koizumi was the last to greet her, and Peko felt herself get smaller. She averted her eyes as she struggled to find words to say. To convert just how sorry she was.

"Peko-chan."

Peko forced herself to look at the redhead's eyes. "I—I'm—"

Koizumi wrapped her in a hug. "I forgive you."

Peko felt herself relax into the hug, as droplets of tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry…and thank you."

"Kuzuryuu-kun, you get in here, too!"

"Wh-what?!"

Koizumi pulled the shorter blond and forced him into their awkward, tear-filled group hug.

"Actually, you know what, everyone, quit standing there and join in too!" Koizumi yelled, mouth twisting into a playful grin. "You three, you're all not exempt from this just because you're bigwigs in the Future Foundation!"

"What nonsense, I won't — Naegi! Kirigiri! Let go of me!"

It was the Biggest, Sweetest, Most Hope-filled Inducing Hug of All Time.

And as he stood there, surrounded by the warmth of his friends and classmates, Hajime thought that things could only get better from here.

* * *

"Don't get too comfortable."

Hajime opened his eyes to blackness. He was met with a familiar face. Red eyes stared back at him.

"Izuru?"

"No…I don't go by that name anymore."

Hajime smiled. "You're right…You're me too…"

"Before you start getting channeling your inner Naegi with me—"

"My inner what?"

"Ah, sorry, you prefer the term 'Mom', correct?"

"N-no! Not…really…."

"…"

"…"

"Can I continue?"

"R-right! Sorry!"

"As I was saying…Don't let your guard down…I have a bad feeling about the next person…"

"You mean…The one who's going to wake up next? Sainoji? Sure, she's not the nicest—"

"No, not her. I have a bad feeling…It's probably going to be the person you don't want to see the most."

"The person I don't want to see?"

"That's all I can say for now. It's time for me to go."

"Huh? W-wait a sec—"

Hajime awoke with a start. He sat up on his bed, his whole body shaking. "The person I don't want to see the most…"

Hajime quickly stood up, not bothering to dress out of his pajamas. It was still dark out, but he didn't care. He had to confirm…

The walk felt like hours and when he finally stood in front of the room that held his comatose classmates, Hajime felt his heart beat faster. Hesitantly, he opened the doors.

Inside, lying awake with blood shot eyes…was Nagito Komaeda.

* * *

 **Omake**

Byakuya regarded Shinji with a frown. "So…you're not masquerading as me anymore?"

"No, not anymore."

"Then would you mind my asking why you chose to pretend to be me. of all people?"

Shinji nodded. "Yes. Because of your wealth. I felt that if I could successfully pretend to be you, I'd have more access to even the rarest of dishes."

"…That's it?"

"Yes."

"You pretended to be me…for the sake of food?"

"Yes."

"Nothing else?"

"Yes."

"Well, it certainly wasn't because he admired your personality." Kirigiri cut in as she passed by the pair.

"Kirigiri, you—!"

"Yes."

"Don't agree with her!"

* * *

I really hope that I didn't make Togami appear too OOC here. Ever since I finished playing Ultra Despair Girls, I've always felt like Togami at least has a soft spot for Naegi since he's the only person he ever seems to treat with respect. Literally the only time I've ever seen that four-eyed lemon wear a genuine smile was when he was speaking to him in that CG in the epilogue…

Speaking of Ultra Despair Girls, the next chapter will have some major spoilers so if you haven't played/finished the game yet and want to avoid spoilers, then you'll probably want to put the next chapter on hold.

Anyways, who else is pumped for DR3 anime? I am both excited and worried for the safety of the survivors for the first game, that's for sure! Please…Don't kill off my OTP ;-;


	7. Discord

**Chapter 7: Discord**

Hajime can feel his heart thumping a mile a minute. His brain is screaming at him to get out of there as soon as possible, but his feet stay rooted to the ground.

Komaeda finally turns his head to look at the brunet. The luckster's eyes narrow before promptly twisting his head away.

Hajime feels his breath catch on his throat. Is he…Is he seriously giving me the silent treatment?!

Before Hajime can point out the ridiculousness of the situation, the large monitor comes to life and Nanami's face appears on the screen. She lets out a tired yawn as she greets the two teens. "Good morning Hinata-kun…Ah, and Komaeda-kun as well…Good morning. Very early morning…"

Komaeda's lips twitch up to a smile. "Good morning to you as well, Nanami-san."

So he won't talk to me, but he'll talk to Nanami, huh…So that's how it is.

If Nanami comes to the same conclusion as Hajime, she doesn't show it.

Soft squeaks echo down the hallway…Wait, squeaks?!

The doors burst open, and a frazzled Naegi enters the room…dressed in ducky pajamas and matching ducky slippers, the source of loud squeaking. Naegi is heaving for breath, hands on his knees.

While Hajime smiles amusedly at the sight, Komaeda's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Y-you're—"

Naegi straightens his posture and regards the two of them. He sends a warm smile at Komaeda's direction as he greets him "Good morning, Komaeda-kun. Alter Ego alerted me to your awakening, so I came to check on you as soon as possible."

A wide smile spreads across Komaeda's face as he regards the shorter boy. "For the Super High School Level Hope to go out of his way to see trash like me! I'm absolutely honored!"

Hajime notices Naegi stiffen a little at the praise, face growing uneasy. Naegi opened his mouth to say something when the door flung open. Kirigiri strode in, light purple slippers making soundless steps as she approached her former classmate. Once he fully took on the younger teen's appearance, it took all of Hajime's will power not to laugh.

Kirigiri was wearing ducky pajamas that matched Naegi's.

The detective regarded Naegi before pointing a glare in Komaeda. Even in ducky pajamas, Kirigiri still managed to look incredibly threatening.

Komaeda, however, appeared undeterred by the distaste directed towards him. In fact, he actually looked elated. "Ah, even the Super High School Level Detective has graced me with her presence! At this rate, I might actually die from all this amazing luck!"

"Naegi-kun, get behind me."

"Eh? B-but—"

"His stupidity. It might be contagious."

"Ah ha ha ha ha!" Komaeda's maniacal laugh echoed across the room, bringing with it unwanted memories of the first class trial in the Neo World Program.

That's right…At the time, I thought he was a normal guy like me…I thought…he was a friend…an ally…

Hajime clenched his eyes tight, trying to block out those unwanted memories. More footsteps resounded from the hallway and Togami came rushing in shortly after. It was odd, seeing the progeny, normally exuding an aura of pure confidence, now wearing a look filled with worry. Unlike Naegi and Kirigiri, however, Togami's pajamas were plain and black, probably made out of material that would cost more than Hajime could possibly ever hope to make in his lifetime.

"Nagito Komaeda."

"To have the Super High School Level heir acknowledged an insignificant life such as mine—"

"Yes, yes, you're very grateful, I know."

With one last glare, the progeny turned to face Kirigiri.

"We had a deal. Naegi can take care of himself."

"Even so, as his boss, I shoo—"

Naegi laid a hand on Kirigiri's shoulder. "I'll be fine, Kirigiri-san. Besides, I have Alter Ego and Nanami-san in here with me, so I won't be alone."

Kirigiri hesitated before solemnly nodding her head. "Very well. Then, at least take this. Fifty of these." She handed a suitcase to the shorter boy, likely full of her ever trusty syringes. Naegi gratefully accepted them before flashing an encouraging smile at his former classmates.

"If anything happens, I'll be sure to contact you both immediately."

The pair nodded, both wearing small smiles before turning away. Kirigiri grabbed Hajime's wrist as she made her exit.

"W-wait, what?! What's going on?!"

Kirigiri kept her eyes forward as she responded. "I'll tell you once we gather the rest of your classmates."

"But what about Naegi?!"

"Naegi…can take care of himself. I trust him."

* * *

"…"

"To be in the same room as the Super High School Level Hope, I think I could just about die happy right now!"

"…Please don't. That would be…troublesome."

Nagito's smile turned mischievous. "Troublesome, huh? Not sad? As I thought, do you perhaps possess a lingering grudge against me? For my sins as a member of Despair? For toying with your little sister? Or maybe you're just disgusted by my very presence and—"

"Please stop! Please…Stop talking about yourself like that!"

Naegi's fists were clenched tightly, brows furrowed together and…were those…tears? At the sight of Naegi's genuine compassion, his genuine kindness…Nagito felt his grin go even wider. The hero that had triumphed over Junko Enoshima, over despair…

"Ha…Ha ha ha ha ha! Amazing! Absolutely amazing! Even after all that I've done, you're still willing to show me such kindness! Your hope is so pure and bright, you've exceeded my expectations!"

Naegi remained silent, fists still clenched tight. He continued to wait quietly until Nagito's laughing fit died to down to soft chuckles. He finally calmed down, slowly closing his eyes.

"I'm sure your sister must have told you about me, right?"

"Yes, she has."

"And I'm sure she had nothing positive to say about me."

"…Well…no, she had at least one positive thing to say about you."

Nagito blinked his eyes back open, interest piqued.

"Oh, really? And what might that be, if I may be so bold to ask."

"Um, well…she said that your hair reminded her of marshmallows."

After a brief moment of silent, Nagito let out a dissatisfied smile. "As expected…That's a decidedly normal observation from a decidedly normal high school girl. She's nothing like her older brother, and I suppose that's her most disappointing feature."

Naegi smiled, expression growing fond. "You're right. She's nothing like me. Komaru is Komaru, and I'm me."

Nagito let out a light chuckle. "I recall your sister saying the same thing. Those words held so much determination but…not enough hope."

"Komaeda-kun, how would you define hope?"

"Hope is light. That tiny speck of light that grows stronger and stronger as it absorbs darkness. Then, it becomes a bright light that can triumph over all! A light so bright, that not a speck of darkness can be found within it! Just like you, Naegi-kun! After overcoming trial after trial during the School Life of Mutual Killing, you became a light so bright that no amount of darkness can taint it!"

"Komaeda-kun…you speak as if you only admire hope…But you don't speak as if you actually believe in it."

Nagito grew silent at that. Believe? Did he actually believe in hope? No, of course he did. He loved the idea of hope more than anyone…And that's when he realized…

Naegi-kun is right…I've never once believed in hope.

"Ha."

I've always just admired the idea of hope.

"Ha ha."

I've always been chasing after it, but I've never tried to reach my hand out and grasp it.

"Ha ha ha."

"K-Komaeda-kun?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Naegi's face grew panicked as he fumbled for the suitcase Kirigiri had given him.

"Alter Ego, Nanami-san, please contact Kirigiri-san and Togami-kun immediately!"

* * *

Hajime and his former classmates all gathered together in the cafeteria, still clad in their pajamas. They all waited patiently for Kirigiri and Togami to tell them why they'd all been woken up so early in the morning. Finally, once she confirmed that everyone was accounted for, Kirigiri stepped forward to address them all.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why we brought you all together so early in the morning. That is because one of your former classmates has awakened far earlier than anticipated."

Sonia leaned forward slightly, voice filled with hope. "By any chance, was it Tanaka-san?"

Kirigiri shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, no. The one who has awakened this time…He's far more troublesome."

Souda straightened his posture, "Wait, more troublesome. No, don't tell me…was it Komaeda?"

Kirigiri solemnly nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Whaaaaaat?!" Souda screeched as the tension in the room rose. "Wait, wait, that can't be right! Isn't he supposed to be, like, the final boss?! He's comin' in way too early! I don't care how lucky he is, bending the rules like that just ins't fair!"

"W-wait a sec!" Hanamura exclaimed, looking around the room frantically, "Where's Naegi-kun?!"

Togami finally spoke up, voice firm; "He's with Komaeda."

"What?!" Kuzuryuu practically growled. "You guys know how much of a psycho that guy is! And you left the literal embodiment of hope alone with that— that—hope obsessed freak?!"

Pekoyama went into a battle stance, managing to look menacing despite being unarmed. "Fuyuhiko, should I take action?"

Owari cracked her knuckles together. "That Naegi kid looks about as fragile as a stick. He's gonna need some back-up, yeah?"

"Calm down, everyone!"

The room instantly quieted. Hajime found himself wondering who had managed to calm down his easily excitable friends so quickly…And then all of their eyes turned to him.

 _Oh…it was me…I said that…okay then…_

Hajime exhaled before facing the group gathered together. "We should all put our trust in Naegi. After all, he's the one who—"

Both Kirigiri and Togami's phones suddenly rang loudly, prompting the pair to frantically take their phones out. Hajime could hear Nanami and Alter Ego's panicked voices coming from the devices.

"Naegi-kun needs help!"

Hajime lifted his head up, feeling somewhat defeated. "He's the one who proved me wrong in less than a second…"

* * *

Nagito remembers it like it was yesterday.

It was his second year of high school, a sunny Friday, and Nagito was in high spirits after his first week of the new school year ended without any particularly outstanding misfortunes. He hummed quietly to himself as he made his way down the stairs.

"Now all that's left is to introduce myself to the new Super High School Level Good Luck!"

He stopped a few inches away from the classroom of the 78th class. There were still several students exiting the room, and Nagito didn't want to bother them with his insignificant presence. He waited patiently until he finally caught sight of a sharp, distinct cowlick.

Nagito moved closer to the classroom, calling out to the younger boy.

"Um, excuse me!'

The boy stopped and turned his attention to the older teen. The brunet's friends stopped in their tracks as well, regarding the newcomer with calculating looks.

"Sorry to bother you! Um…"

Nagito found himself at a loss for words once he recognized the pair that was accompanying the shorter luckster.

"Byakuya Togami and Kyoko Kirigiri! Ah, i-it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

Togami scoffed, pointing a look of disgust at Nagito's direction. "What gives you the right to address me so casually, plebeian?"

"Togami-kun", Naegi began, voice sounding reprimanding, "He's an upperclassman. You should be more respectful."

Togami sighed before turning his head away. "Whatever. Naegi, I'm going on ahead."

"A-ah, alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

Togami nodded, sent one more suspicious glare in Nagito's direction, then left.

"Um…sorry, did I interrupt something?" Nagito asked, internally beating himself up for trying to speak so casually to someone like Togami.

"A-ah, no. It's alright';" Naegi replied, waving his hands nervously. "We were just on our way home."

"I see…So I impeded you on your trek home together. I'm truly sorry. As I thought, I truly am worthless tras—"

"Naegi-kun, are you acquainted with this man?" Kirigiri asked, halting Nagito's self-depreciating rant.

"Um, no. This is the first time we've ever talked."

Kirigiri shot a suspicious glance at Nagito, her calculating gaze making him feel as though his secrets had all suddenly become visible. Nagito let out a nervous chuckle, ignoring the nervous sweat that started to trickle down his head. Kirigiri finally broke her unwavering gaze and directed a kinder one towards her classmate.

"Naegi-kun, I'll be going ahead as well. If anything happens, you have my number."

"Oh, alright." Naegi replied, slightly startled. Then his face broke into a bright smile, "I'll see you tomorrow!'

Kirigiri gave him a small smile in return. "Yes. I'll see you tomorrow."

She bowed slightly in Nagito's direction before turning to leave.

"Incredible…So that's the Super High School Level Detective…"

"Um, excuse me?"

Nagito snapped back to attention, silently berating himself for getting carried away in admiring other people's talents…again.

"Oh, right, right! I'm sorry about that, Naegi-kun!"

"It's alright, but…How do you know my name?"

"Ah, that's right! I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Nagito Komaeda. I guess you could say I'm your predecessor."

"Predecessor? Oh! You're Super High School Level Good Luck as well?"

Nagito smiled brightly. "Yup, that's right! So I guess that makes me your senpai!"

"Ah, you're right! It's nice to meet you, Komaeda-senpai!"

So— So earnest! What a cute kouhai*!

Nagito affectionately pat Naegi on the head, an act he'd often seen older siblings do to their younger siblings.

"It's nice to meet you too, Naegi-kun."

Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooope

Nagito was on his way back to the dorms when he caught sight of Naegi. He was about to call out to him when a shorter girl came into view. Before long, the pair began to talk excitedly. Not wanting to interrupt the younger underclassmen's conversation, Nagito decided to speak to Naegi another time.

"Jealous?"

Nagito tensed up slightly at the sudden voice. He hadn't heard anyone sneak up behind him. He turned around to address the voice when his eyes widened slightly.

"Junko Enoshima. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Junko smiled, "The pleasure's all mine. So? Are you jealous or not?"

Nagito pondered for a bit. "Hmmm…I guess I am. I don't get along with my classmates as well as Naegi-kun does, and as his senior, I guess that makes me feel somewhat inferior to him."

Enoshima let out a low whistle. "Wow. You don't beat around the bush. By the way, I'm sure you've figured it out by now since you're such a huge Hope's Peak fanboy, but I'm one of your cute little kouhai's classmates."

"Yes, I'm aware. I'm sure the two of you get along well."

Enoshima hummed for a moment, pointing her index finger to her chin. "I guess we kinda do. I mean, he's the type of guy that's easy to talk to. Fun to mess around with, ya know? But, I dunno…He can be a little too bright sometimes…But that just might be me. My sister's seems to like him just fine. In fact, she seems to be downright enamored with him. Guess she's into the cutesy shota type. Huh. Never pegged her to be into that. Welp, to each their own."

Nagito hung on to every word that came out of the younger teen's lips. There was just something about her. The way she exuded confidence, her charismatic tone, her all-important aura. When the model finished speaking, she let out an amused sigh. Turning her head up to address the luckster, she asked;

"So? Is he too bright for you?"

"Too…bright? Maybe…" Nagito had enjoyed the time he spent with his underclassman, and the younger boy's words of encouragement always warmed his heart. But Nagito knew that despite having the same talent, they were worlds apart. Naegi got along easily with anyone. Anyone. Even the prickly Togami.

"Oh-hoh~ You know, you're a pretty honest guy."

Nagito smiles sadly. "I wouldn't say that. But for some reason, I don't feel the need to lie to you."

"Woah, woah, hold the phone. Is that a love confession? 'Cos you're not really my type. Plus, I'm taken."

"Ah, no, no. It's not so much love as it is…admiration? Yes, I suppose that's it."

"Hmmm…Well, if you're going keep hanging around Naegi-kun, I'm sure we'll cross paths again. Well, then, I'll see you around~"

And with that, Enoshima left without another word. Nagito watched her retreating back in fascination. He wasn't quite sure why, but the idea of seeing Enoshima again made a new feeling well up inside him. It wasn't love, and it didn't feel like admiration either…He wasn't quite sure what the feeling was at the time, but mere months later he would know. It was the beginning of despair.

It was through meeting hope…That Nagito met despair.

* * *

"Naegi-kun!" "Naegi!"

Kirigiri and Togami slammed the door open as they rushed into the room. Naegi looked up, drenched in sweat but otherwise fine. The shorter boy was panting, holding an empty syringe in one hand. Hajime followed the boy's panicked gaze towards Komaeda's still body. His eyes widened upon realizing that the white haired teen's bonds were loose. His clothing was in disarray and Hajime could make out a number of scars from the skin that peeked beneath his clothing.

Hajime continued to gape at the spectacle as Kirigiri and Togami rushed to their comrade's side.

"Are you alright?" Kirigiri asked, panicked.

"I-I'm fine…He was just…a lot stronger than I expected."

Kuzuryuu stepped forward, angered by the comment. "He attacked you?!"

Naegi held his hands up in a placating manner. "N-No! Not…exactly. I mean, he was strong physically. I had to use more than one syringe to put him to sleep, but as you can see…" The rest of the group followed Naegi's gaze towards the broken syringes that lay on the floor. "He put up quite a fight…But, he was also strong mentally…Trying to reason with him was incredibly difficult."

Togami approached Komaeda's still body, examining the broken bonds. "…We'll have to find a new way to contain him before he wakes up again."

Kirigiri laid her hands atop Naegi's shoulders. "Naegi-kun, for now, you should probably stay away from Komaeda-kun…He's too dangerous."

The rest of the group agreed, voicing concerns for their friend's safety. Hajime was inclined to agree…until he saw the expression on Naegi's face. He knew that look. Hajime felt as though he must have been caught wearing that expression a number of times in the virtual world as well. Naegi wanted to understand Komaeda.

"Hey guys?" Hajime spoke up, "I'll stay here. With Naegi."

"What?!" Koizumi exclaimed. "Hinata-kun, what are you saying?! I thought you were supposed to be the most sensible one here! You know Komaeda-kun better than any of us and—"

"That's exactly why." The large computer screen in the room crackled to like and Nanami's face occupied the screen. "It's because Hinata-kun knows Komaeda-kun better than anyone else…He knows how to handle him best. We should trust in him. We should trust in him, in Naegi-kun, and in Komaeda-kun."

"Trust Komaeda?!" Souda piped up, clutching at his hair in frustration. "Do you know how many times that guy tried to get us killed?! Heck, he's the reason Shinji died!"

Shinji nodded his head solemnly in agreement.

"Yeah, that's right!" Terteru yelled. "There's no way I'm taking any chances with him again!"

"But Naegi-kun, Kirigiri-san, and Togami-kun took a chance with all of you." Nanami continued, conviction unwavering. "Despite all the crimes you committed as Remnants of Despair, they all looked past them because they thought that you were all worth saving. Why can't you give that same chance to Komaeda-kun?"

The room went silent. Hajime's former classmates all began to turn their attention elsewhere. The floor, the ceiling, the walls. Then, finally, Sonia spoke up.

"I agree…with Nanami-san. We should give Komaeda-san the same chance that Naegi-san and his friends gave us."

Souda quickly nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, Sonia-san's right! You all should be ashamed of yourselves for thinking so selfishly!"

Koizumi elbowed him in the gut. Hard.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

He was met with deadpan stares from everyone in the room.

"Wh-what?!"

Owari cut in, looking somewhat impatient. "So basically, we just leave Naegi and HInata here to deal with Komaeda, yeah?"

Hajime blinked, then nodded. "That's the plan."

"Okay good! Then can we have breakfast already? I'm starving!"

Owari's comment relieved the tension in the room and the former students all let out a helaugh.

"What?! Why are you all laughing?! I'm serious!"

* * *

Nagito's head is throbbing when he wakes up. There's the feeling of cold metal on his skin and a heavy weight on his back. He tries to move his arms when he realizes that both have been tied behind his back. The cold metal against his skin turns out to be handcuffs, possibly a precaution that Kiririgiri implemented. Nagito almost smiles to himself, once again feeling in awe at the foresight of someone as talented as the SHSL Detective. The luckster finally opens his eyes to the worried faces of Naegi and…someone he'd much rather forget.

Naegi smiles brightly at him, no longer clad in ducky pajamas. "Ah, good morning again Komaeda-kun."

Nagito is about to greet his former kouhai back when a realization hits him. "You…stopped calling me senpai."

Naegi flinched a little, as if Nagito's words had physically harmed him. "Oh, um…I'm sorry…I didn't realize you remembered…"

Nagito smiled gently. "It's alright. To be honest, I only just remembered myself. My memories from the past…Particularly my memories from my school life…They're sketchy, at best."

He had the gall to turn and speak to Naegi, as if he had completely forgotten about his past crimes.

"Naegi, you and Komaeda knew each other?"

"Yeah…I've met all of you before…Well, before the Tragedy. But Komaeda-senpai was the first person in your class to reach out to me."

"Naegi-kun", Nagito spoke out, trying his best to keep the venom out of his voice, "I think you're mistaken."

"Mistaken?"

"That's right. That man you're speaking too…He wasn't in my class. He was a reserve course student. Talentless, a fake symbol of hope. In fact, he has no right to—"

"That's enough!"

Nagito had never heard Naegi raise his voice before, and judging by the expression on his face, neither did he.

"Komaeda-senpai, I cannot allow you to continue speaking to Hinata-kun like that. He may not have a Super High School Level talent, but he has far better qualities. He's kind, he's selfless, he's smart, he's determined, he has hope."

Laughter bubbles up Nagito's throat again, sick and twisted. "Ahahahahahaha! Hope?! Hope?! That fake Super High School Level Hope?! Naegi-kun, I thought you of all people would be the most appalled at his very existence!"

Naegi closes his eyes, the picture of calmness. He lets out a breath.

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." Naegi opened his eyes again, voice kind and gentle. "Ephesians 4:4."

Nagito blinks. "Naegi-kun…You're a Christian?"

The younger boy chuckled sheepishly. "I'm…not sure yet. My family was never very religious. But then…"

Naegi placed his hand inside his suit pocket, taking out a pocket sized Bible. "This was given to me. A gift from a Pastor. Some of Enoshima-san's followers were making a ruckus at his church, so my branch was sent to help him out. He gave us all these Bibles as thanks."

Naegi closed his eyes again, as if remembering a fond memory. "I'm not sure why I decided to start reading it. Maybe I was seeking comfort in this world overwrought with despair…Maybe I was looking for a little bit of hope myself."

He turned to him, eyes bright and genuine. "When I was reading this particular chapter last night, I thought of you all. I thought about how you all used to walk in darkness. How some of you are still struggling against darkness." Naegi turned to face Nagito now; "But the light will never perish. It will always be there. It's up to you to decide whether or not you want to be in it."

Naegi turned then, tucking his Bible back in his suit pocket.

"Well then, I've said my piece. Hinata-kun, is there anything else you want to add?"

He nodded, expression determined. "Yeah. Yeah I do."

Nagito smiled up at him and asked in a mocking tone; "And what do you have to say to me?"

His expression didn't waver. If anything, he appeared even more resolute.

"First off, my name isn't you, it's Hinata."

"Hmph. Is that all you—"

"Hinata."

"—have to say?"

"No. I also think you're a major pain in the a—"

"Donkey's butt!" Naegi yelled, disrupting the flow of the conversation. The younger boy shrunk back when the other two boys turned their attention to him.

"S-sorry…But Hinata-kun, please, watch your language!"

"R-right…Sorry about that. Anyway, I think you're a major pain in…a donkey's butt…You never once tried to get along with the others. All you ever did was admire them like they were some kind of spectacle! You kept distancing yourself from them like you didn't deserve it! Like you were some kind of inferior being compared to them!"

"Of course I felt like that!" Nagito was surprised at the way his voice rose, but ignored it as he kept going on; "All I have going for me is luck! They all had such amazing talents so why should I—"

"And that's another thing! Stop talking yourself down so much! You have so many other great qualities besides luck!"

Nagito scoffed. "Really? How? Would you care to elaborate."

Without missing a beat, he nodded in agreement. "Of course! You're smart. Even if you tended to have underlings motives for it, you were always a big help during class trials. You're brave. You risked everything on your luck when you entered the Final Dead Room and came out victorious. No coward would have been capable of doing that, no matter how lucky they are. And…you're a great at cleaning. You'd probably even give Yukizome-sensei a run for her money."

Nagito was speechless. And then he remembered. All those times during the game, when he— when Hinata would continue to talk to him. To try to understand him. Even despite all he had done, even when all of his classmates distance themselves away from him…Hintata stayed. Nagito opened his mouth but then— Pain. Excruciating pain.

You don't deserve to be understood. What gives trash like you the right to make friends. He's a fake Hope but you still want to be friends with him?! Lonely, you?! You've always been alone! Nothing's changed! Your're just trash! Trash trash trash!

Nagito screamed and screamed. Naegi and Hinata were saying something but he couldn't hear. His head hurt. His arms hurt. His handcuffed hands hurt. Evertyhing hurt.

"Komeada-kun!"

A familiar voice. Light pink hair. Gentle eyes.

 _Ah, I remember now….Our class rep…Nanami-san…I'm sorry…_

Hajime slumped to the floor feeling defeated. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and looked up to find Naegi smiling gently at him.

"Give him time. We'll get there, I'm sure of it."

Hajime smiled back. "Yeah…thanks Naegi…For everything."

"Don't talk like that!"

Hajime jumped slightly and turned to face the computer monitor.

"Nanami, you scared me!"

"Oops…sorry. But, you really shouldn't say things like that, Hinata-kun. You'll set up your death flags if you keep talking like that."

Hajime let out a soft chuckle. "Heh. You're right. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Nanami beamed. "good. You're very important to me, so I'd be sad if anything bad happened to you."

Hajime felt himself redden. "Oh! Um, well—"

Naegi coughed into his hand. "Um…Should I leave?"

Alter Ego popped up behind Nanami, fidgeting with his hands awkwardly. "Should I leave as well?"

"N-no!" Hajime yelled, blush going redder. "Um, actually, Naegi…Why don't we head back to the others for now?"

The shorter boy nodded back. "Yeah. We'll check up on Komaeda-senpai again later. Everything will be fine. I'm sure of it."

* * *

 **Omake**

"Hello, Komaru?"

"Ah, onii-chan! So, how did the talk with that psycho marshmallow go?"

"It went a lot better than I expected, especially with Hinata-kun backing me up."

Komaru let out a breath of relief. "That's good to hear."

"What about you, Komaru? How are things on your end?"

Komaru hummed happily in response. "Pretty good, actually! I heard back from Mrs. Hagakure, and it sounds like Towa City is starting to look better. Progress is still pretty slow, but hey, progress is progress! Oh, and the Warriors of Hope contacted me recently! They said that they managed to find the last brain-washing helmet!"

"That's great! I'm sorry I wasn't much help in getting things back together". Makoto smiled fondly. "I'm really proud of you Komaru. You've really grown up."

"Wh-what are you saying?! Like you're one to talk, Mr. Hero!"

Makoto blushed bright red and was thankful that his younger sister couldn't see him. "Th-that's just a title they gave me! It doesn't really mean anything!"

"Uh-huh~ Sure, Super High School Level Hope~"

"Uuuuuu…"

Komaru giggled on the other end. "Well, keep up the good work! And be sure to stop by again, soon! I'm sure those kids will want to play with you again!"

Makoto couldn't help the grin that found its way to his face. "Yeah. And maybe…When everything dies down, we can all get together again. I promised Hinata-kun that I'd introduce him to you."

"E-eh?! Onii-chan, you're not trying to set me up, are you?"

"Huh?! Oh, no! Of course not! Hinata-kun's already in a relationship with an AI."

"Oh, oka— Wait. what."

* * *

*Kouhai - underclassman

It'll take a little longer than the others, but Naegi and Hinata are slowly making progress.

Also, just curious, but for future DR stories, would you all (my dear readers) prefer I use the game's localization terms (using first names, Ultimate instead of SHSL, etc), or stick to what I've been using now?

Oh, and if any of you want to discuss theories or just scream about your fave dying in the new DR3 anime, message me at .com. I need more people to yell over this series with.


	8. Swerve

Hey, guess what? I'm not dead yet.

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Swerve**

The air is stuffy when Hajime enters the cafeteria for breakfast. The rest of his friends eat in silence, mechanically placing food in their mouths. Hajime rubs the sleep from his eyes and tries to muster up an energetic greeting.

"Good morning everyone!"

This earns him small, appreciative smiles from his companions. A chorus of greetings erupt and the cafeteria is soon filled with chatter. Hajime smiles at his little victory and proceeds to grab himself a tray. After procuring his breakfast, he takes a seat next to Souda, who stiffens slightly once the brunet settles into his seat.

The mechanic lets out an awkward cough. Then another. Before he can repeat the process, Kuzuryuu slams his chopsticks on the table. "If you have something to say, just say it!"

Souda lets out an unmanly squeal. "O-okay! Okay!…Um, well…Hinata, how's…You know…How's Komaeda holding up?"

Hajime looks up, brow furrowing slightly. "…He's getting better. He slips out every now and then, but for the most part, he's been pretty responsive to us whenever we talk to him."

"But he still does not wish to associate with us?" Sonia asks with downcast eyes.

Hajime shakes his head slowly. "No…But it's not because he's upset with us being Despair anymore…It's something else…"

It had been nearly a week since Komaeda's awakening. He was moved to a separate room, restraints still intact, at his own request.

"You never know when despair might take a hold me again!" He'd said with a smile.

Since then, the only social interaction Komaeda had ever agreed to was either with the Future Foundation members, the AI's, or Hajime. However, in Hajime's case, Komaeda would only agree to see him depending on his current mental state. Naegi had told him not to worry, that Komaeda's condition was slowly starting to improve; but Hajime still couldn't help but worry for his…friend.

"Don't tell me he's still hung up on that whole talent thing?" Koizumi asks, snapping Hajime out of his thoughts.

"…No, I don't think it's talent either…I can't say for sure, but maybe he just feels like he needs to be 'punished' in his own way. With the way he talks to Nanami, especially. Maybe he feels regret over causing her death in the simulation…"

Hanamura scratched his chin in thought. "Well, to be fair, from what you guys told me, he was actually trying to _spare_ Nanami, not kill her. I'm not trying to justify his actions or anything, but..."

Sonia nodded in agreement. "That is correct. Because Nanami-san was the only one that wasn't a remnant of despair, Komaeda-san, wished to spare her by sacrificing us all. However, I suppose he did not predict that Nanami-san would choose to sacrifice herself instead."

"If I may"; Pekoyama began, raising her hand.

"Peko, you don't need to do that. If you've got something to say, then just say it."

"That's right, Peko-chan! You're a valuable friend and your opinion is equally valued!"

"Definitely more valued than Souda's"; Shinji interjected.

" _Shinji!_ And here I thought we were finally starting to bond!"

A small smile graced Pekoyama's lips before she decided to continue. "Thank you. Well then, regarding Komaeda...I haven't recovered all of my memories from our time at Hope's Peak Academy, but I do recall him often keeping to himself. He never appeared to hold any ill will towards us...and yet I always instinctively put my guard up around him. He is what one might call an anomaly and I could never predict what actions he would take next."

"Well, you're not the alone", Kuzuryuu added, leaning further against his chair, "I'm pretty sure none of us could predict that guy's next actions."

A loud buzz coming from the TV screen centered in the room halted the group's conversation as Usami's worried face appeared on screen.

"Hawawawa! Everyone, quick! Two of your fwiends have just woken up!"

"Two?!" Souda yelled, quickly getting out of his seat. "Wait, d'ya guys think that Komaeda woke them up? Or woke one of them up?"

Owari crossed her arms in a rare display of thought, "Well, he _is_ pretty lucky…"

"Wait", Hajime said as the gears in his head started to turn; "Do you guys remember the third case?"

Sonia nodded solemnly. "Yes…It was most unfortunate. Tsumiki-san, she…Oh my!"

"Wait, you lost me there. What did Mikan-chan do?"

Hajime put on a wry smile. "I'm really glad you were one of the first to wake up, Koizumi. We should hurry, I'll explain on the way."

"Geez!" Hanamura exclaimed, "Ever since Komaeda-kun woke up, it's just been one big thing after another!"

* * *

It takes the combined efforts of Naegi and Togami to pin down Sainoji as she thrashes about in a fit of rage. Across the room, Kirigiri manages to keep Mioda in place and somehow manages to withstand the other girl's high pitched screeching. With both girls making so much noise, it's a wonder that nobody in the room has busted their ear drums yet. Koizumi takes a step back, looking on the verge of tears at the sight. In perfect sync, Naegi and Kirigiri take out a syringe, ready to —

"Please stop!" Koizumi runs up closer to where Sainoji continues her fruitless struggle. Kirigiri turns to look at Naegi, who simply nods before both put their offending tools away. Naegi moves to the side, making way for Koizumi to kneel down and peer at her friend.

"Hiyoko-chan…is that really you?"

Sainoji's body suddenly stiffens. "…Koizumi-onee?"

Tears start to trickle down Koizumi as she smiles and nods. "Yes…It's me."

Sainoji smiles…Then the smile twists into something wicked; more wicked than the smiles she flashed whenever she threw insults at Tsumiki. "Are you here to help me spread despair? Can you help me get rid of these things here? Hey, hey. I need to go. I need to set up another concert so that everyone can be happy and stop bullying Daddy." Koizumi backs away slightly as Sainoji's voice grows louder, drowning out Ibuki's incoherent screaming. " **I said hey! Why won't you listen?! No one ever listened! That's why I have to keep dancing! So everyone can fall into despair and then —"**

"Hiyoko-chan, _please stop_!"

The tears fell freely down Koizumi's cheeks and her entire body shook. Naegi rubbed soothing circles on her back, whispering comforting words. At the sight, Sainoji's eyes widened for a brief moment.

"Wha— huh? What was I?" Then her face twisted in anger once more. "What is _with_ that racket?!"

Togami stood up and addressed Kirigiri. "Do it. We can deal with her later. This one's looking like she might have a breakthrough."

Kirigiri nodded in understanding as she took out her syringe and silenced Mioda.

"H-huh?" Saionoji's face relaxes again. "It stopped…Wh-what's with these things?!" She turns her head to glare at Togami. "Hey, four eyes! What's the big idea?! Why am I strapped like this! I'll sue you!"

Togami's expression turned unamused as he took out a phone. "Naegi, can I just turn her in to the Fut—"

"Togami-kun, _please_."

"Hmph."

The blonde finally turns her attention to Naegi upon hearing his voice. "And _you_! What do you think you're doing, making Koizumi-onee cry like that?!"

Kirigiri approached the group, another syringe at the ready. "No, Naegi isn't responsible for your friend's breakdown. It's you."

"Wh-what?! Why would I —"

 _Throb_

"Gggg—aaaaaaah—"

"Hi-Hiyoko-chan?"

"It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! Despair! Gaaaah! _No!_ Daddy! I need to — Fill this world with— _No_!"

"Kirigiri-san!" Naegi yelled.

Kirigiri wasted no time as she brought the syringe down and put Hiyoko back to sleep. Hajime and the others looked on in stunned silence. Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama were the first to snap out and quickly jogged up to Koizumi. Hajime blinked twice before turning to the rest of his friends. "You guys, go check on Mioda. I'll go check on Komaeda."

"Are you sure you'll be okay going alone?" Souda asked. "And besides, Komaeda's been isolated, right? He shouldn't be able to know about what just went down…"

Hanamura nodded in agreement, face turning serious. "Besides…I doubt he'd care much. He was always acting friendly towards us, but he never actually _tried_ to become friends with us…Though I suppose you're the exception."

Hajime lowered his head slightly, sporting a tired smile. "Komaeda…He's a real piece of work, no one can deny that…But I want to let him know…He was still our classmate, and like Nanami says, he deserves a chance. Just like the rest of us."

Hanamura's expression shifted to a kinder one; "I see…I apologize if what I said was out of line…Go ahead then, but still…Be careful."

Hajime nodded and exited the doors. As he walked down the hallway, he overheard Souda and Shinji teasing Hanamura and making a big fuss over his "character development". Even Sonia joined in on the lighthearted teasing. The fact that they could remain so close even after all that they had been through…Hajime couldn't help but feel happy, hopeful, and relieved all at the same time.

* * *

"Ah, Hinata-kun."

Hajime walked in to the sound of Nanami's voice. He turned to the laptop placed on a desk in front of Komaeda's bed. He'd wondered why Nanami hadn't made an appearance during Mioda and Sainoji's awakening…

"Hey, Nanami", he said with a smile. He turned to Komaeda to do the the same but was taken aback by the other boy's expression. Usually, whenever he came to greet Komaeda, the other boy's expression would either be one of pure disgust or apathy, there was never any in between. This time, however, the luckster was wearing a wide smile and greeted Hajime in a cheerful tone.

"Good morning, Hinata-kun! Or should I say good afternoon? I haven't been good with keeping track of time these days…" He trailed off, looking slightly apologetic.

"Um…" Hajime was at a loss for words. He turned to Nanami for an explanation.

"It would seem that Komaeda-kun has regained some of his memories."

Hajime wasn't entirely sure if that could be considered a good thing or a bad thing. In the end, he decided to approach the situation cautiously.

"Um, Komaeda. Good for you."

"For someone like you to tell me that…I don't think I could be happier! I worry about the bad luck that may follow this stroke of good fortune!"

"So…What exactly did your remember? I-if you don't mind telling me!"

"Of course not, Kamakura-kun!"

Hajime froze. He could feel his heart beat faster, could feel something painful constricting his throat. His breath came out in short gasps and his head throbbed in pain.

"Hinata-kun?"

He could hear Nanami's worried voice. That's right, he couldn't let her down. He couldn't let that other side of him win again. He gripped the edge of Komaeda's bed, closed his eyes, and started doing the breathing exercises that Naegi had taught him.

 _Breathe In. 1, 2, 3, 4. Breathe Out. 1 ,2 ,3 , 4. Breathe In. 1, 2,3,4. Breathe Out. 1, 2, 3, 4._

After calming himself down, Hajime opened his eyes again. Komaeda, however, either didn't notice Hajime's mini breakdown or simply didn't care. Either way, the other boy began to excitedly chatter as if nothing was wrong.

"But for you, Naegi-kun, and Nanami-san to all be gathered together like this! It's like having three Ultimate Hopes at once!"

Hajime felt his head tilt to the side in confusion, hand still gripping the edge of Komaeda's bed. "Wait, Nanami too? Is it because she was the only one in the simulation that wasn't a remnant of despair?"

Komaeda's expression turned sad as he took on a sombre tone. "Ah, of course you wouldn't remember. You weren't in the same class as us, after all. Nanami-san…She wasn't just a computer program. She was a real person."

"…A real person? Huh? N-Nanami-san?" He turned to the AI, trying to find a way to word his question. Nanami seemed to realize what he wanted to ask, but she shook her head sadly in response.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-kun. I'm just a program. I don't have any previous memories like you and Komaeda-kun."

"Kamakura-kun, would you like me to tell you about her? The real Nanami, I mean."

Hajime hesitated before nodding wordlessly in affirmation.

* * *

Hiyoko sat on the porch on a warm afternoon, happily eating some konpeito* a fan had sent her. She could hear some commotion coming from the living room, but decided against intervening. Her family had always been a handful, and she much preferred spending her day off savoring sweets rather than deal with her family's petty squabbles.

Then she heard screams.

Hiyoko dropped the bag of candy she'd been holding and dashed to the source of the noise. In the center of her living room stood two teenage girls. One had short, dark hair, and the other had her hair tied in massive pigtails. The black haired girl's gaze was on the ground, her hand gripping a metal bat covered in blood. Hiyoko followed the girl's gaze and immediately covered her mouth, eyes widening in terror, as she took in the corpses of her mother and grandparents. The pigtailed girl finally noticed her presence, greeting her with an innocent smile.

"Oh, you must be Sainoji-senpai! Woah, you really have gotten taller since the last performance I saw! Hey, what kind of milk are drinking? I know a couple of guys that could benefit from having a growth spurt. Isn't that right, Sis?" She elbowed the other girl playfully, and as if she hadn't just murdered three people, the black haired girl blushed and sputtered out ineligible words. Enoshima's expression turned unamused as she smacked the other girl's back.

"Geez, get it together! This is why that shorty's been hanging out with that detective chick more than you!"

Hiyoko couldn't find the words to respond. This entire situation felt too unreal. Eventually, her legs gave out and Hiyoko could feel her body involuntarily lowering to the ground.

"Hm? What's with this reaction? I thought you'd be happier to finally get rid of the people who've been bullying your old man! At least, that's what Komaeda-senpai told me." She put a finger to her mouth, tilting her head quizzically to the side before letting out a groan and throwing her hands up. "Ugh, talk about ungrateful! The great Junko Enoshima graces you with her lovely presence and does you a favor, and this is how you react?! I even went out of my way to borrow this bat from an annoying rock star wannabe! So?! Where's my thank you?!"

Hiyoko continued to shake in fear as her mouth struggled for words. Should she call for help? Try to bargain with the girls? Run? As the dancer remained frozen in fear, the pigtailed girl, Enoshima, drew closer and closer. When she was finally close enough, Enoshima crouched down so that she was on eye-level with the older blonde, expression very clearly dissatisfied. However, at the drop of a hat, her expression shifted to one of pure joy.

"Ooh!~ I love that expression your making right now! Hey now, don't be so scared…"

She took Hiyoko's hand into her own, smile never wavering. "I think we can be really good friends."

Still unable to answer back, Hiyoko could only nod wordlessly in response.

—

When Hiyoko woke up again, it was to a searing headache. She turned her head and took in her surroundings before her eyes settled on a familiar redhead seated close by.

"Koizumi-onee?"

Koizumi's face broke out into a relieved smile as she brought herself closer to the other girl.

"Hiyoko-chan! How are you felling?"

"Terrible. I remembered some really awful stuff. Hey, is that why I'm strapped to this thing?"

Koizumi nodded slowly. "It was the same for me…No, it was the same for everyone. We all woke up the same way. Confused. Scared. Remembering past crimes."

Hiyoko flinched upon hearing that last part. That was a part of her memory that she'd hoped would stay repressed. Koizumi seemed to pick up on Hiyoko's discomfort as she quickly made an attempt to change the subject.

"So, um…Do you want to get out of those things? I'm sure it's not comfortable. I'll go get someone to let you out."

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

"What about Mioda-onee?"

"Oh, Ibuki-chan? She hasn't woken up yet…B-but I'm sure she's fine. All of us have woken up just fine!"

Hiyoko would never admit it if anyone had asked her, but she couldn't help but worry for her former classmate. As she attempted to crane her neck to chance a glance at the other's sleeping form, she noticed another person present in the room.

"Hinata-onii, what do you think you're doing, staring at a sleeping girl like that?"

"Ah, Hiyoko-chan, that isn't Hinata-kun."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Not-Hinata approached the pair before halting directly in front of Hiyoko's line of sight. "It is I. Porkfeet."

There was a moment of silence.

" **WHAT?!"**

—

Ibuki was positive that this gig would go well. Her former band had played here before, and the response they'd gotten was phenomenal. Sure enough, upon hearing that she would be performing again that night, the place was packed and excited chatter filled the air. Ibuki recognized several of the audience members' faces from the previous show and was happy to note some new faces mixed into the crowd. The musician bounced on her heels excitedly, finding it difficult to contain her excitement. The stage hand appeared from behind her, chuckling in amusement manner at Ibuki's childlike excitement.

"Mioda-san", she whispered, "you'll be on in five minutes!"

Ibuki turned around wearing a huge grin. "Alright! Ibuki's gonna give it her all!"

As the curtains pulled up, Ibuki felt her grip on her guitar tighten. She had recently composed a new song and was eagerly looking forward to the audience's reactions. The chatter soon died down, all eyes on her. Ibuki strung a cord. Then another. Then finally, she let herself loose and played a solo that would put Valhalla himself to shame. The reaction from the audience was priceless as cheers erupted.

It all came crashing down so quickly.

As soon as Ibuki opened her mouth and started singing, the cheers died down in an instant. At first, she was met with stunned silence. Before she could even reach the chorus, the heckling began. There were "boo's" and "you stink's" thrown out, even a death threat or two. But Ibuki soldiered on, hoping that her song would eventually resonate with their hearts.

It didn't.

Someone threw a half empty soda can on the stage. Soon, other audience members followed suit before Ibuki had to be forcibly removed from the stage. She felt her arm being pulled with great force as she was dragged away from the spot light. Ibuki looked up and recognized the stage hand from earlier. She wasn't smiling this time.

The stage hand opened the back door and without hesitation, pushed Ibuki out into the cold night air. "Inviting you was a mistake." She said before she slammed the door shut.

Ibuki clutched at her guitar tighter, feeling tears welling up.

 _Your style's too wild._

 _Stop trying to change our band into you own weird, personal circus!_

 _Hey, don't you think Ibuki's been acting too conceited lately?_

 _We won't really lose anything if we boot her off the band._

 _We should have never invited her to join._

"Woah. Talk about a tough crowd."

Ibuki jumped in surprise and hurriedly wiped away her tears before turning to see who had spoken. The girl wore a light coat and mini skirt despite the chilly air. Ibuki instantly recognized her as the SHSL Fashionista in the 76th class. For this to be her first impression on an underclassmen…

"Hey now, why the long face? I, Junko Enoshima, came all the way here just to greet you! Nice show, by the way."

Ibuki perked up at the compliment. "Really?! You enjoyed Ibuki's concert?!"

Junko giggled into her hand, looking the very picture of an innocent high school girl. "Oh yeah, totally! The audience's reaction was a riot! And your song! If it can even be _called_ one. What was it called again? _My Parents are Getting a Divorce and so are my Pigtails_? You sure you're not the SHSL Comedian?"

Ibuki's heart sank upon hearing the insults casually hurled her way. "Yeah, I suppose so…No one seems to understand Ibuki's music…"

"Can't argue with you there. But I think I can help you get them to understand."

Ibuki instantly brightened up again. "Really?! How?!"

Junko smiled, leaning in closer. "I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve."

—

Ibuki woke up to three familiar voices.

"How can you be Porkfeet?! You're way too skinny to even justify that nickname anymore! And why do you look like Hinata-onii?!"

"Calm down, Hiyoko-chan! We'll explain everything. But first, we should get someone to take these restraints off of you."

"It would be best if you remained here, Koizumi. I'll go fetch someone and inform them of what's occurred."

"Ugh, and you talk all formal-like, too. Yep, definitely not Hinata-onii."

 _Huh? Hiyoko-chan…Mahiru-chan…and Hajime-chan? No…It sounds like him but not exactly…Then who is…?_ Ibuki let out a loud groan as she felt a sharp pain stab at her head incessantly.

"Mioda!"

Ibuki opene one eye. "H-Hajime-chan?" She asked in between pained groans. The boy shook his head. "No…It's me…"

"It's Porkfeet!" Hiyoko yelled from across the room.

"Pork-fe— Byakuya-chan?!"

"Please address me as Shinji from now on."

"Eh?! You got a new name, too?! Hold on, Ibuki-chan's super confused right now!"

Shinji let out a tired sigh before turning to the large computer screen at the front of the room.

"Alter Ego, are you there?"

A petite brunette suddenly appeared onscreen. "Yes! How can I be of service?"

"Woah!" Ibuki yelled, ignoring the pang of pain in her throat. "Why's there a cute girl inside of the computer?!"

"Actually…I'm a boy."

"Ibuki just woke up….And already Ibuki's being assaulted by all of these plot twists!"

Shinji let out another tired sigh before turning his attention back to the brunette, or rather, brunet.

"Alter Ego, could you help Koizumi explain the situation to those two? I have an errand to run."

"Understood! You can count on me!"

* * *

Shinji walked down the halls. Deciding that asking Togami may cause even more confusion, especially on Mioda's part, the impostor decided to keep an eye out for either Naegi or Kirigiri. As he continued his search, he overheard loud voices coming from Komaeda's room.

 _Is Komaeda arguing with Hajime?_

He stopped in front of the door, debating on whether or not he should interfere. He could distinctly hear Hajime and Komaeda's voices, and while it was much softer compared to the other two, he could make out Nanami's voice as well. Before he could turn the knob, he could hear foot steps quickly approaching.

"Shinji-kun!"

"Naegi."

The shorter boy paused and placed his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Is Hinata-kun still inside?" he asked in between his gasps for air. Athletic activities definitely did not suit the younger boy.

"Yes. It sounds like he's arguing with Komaeda."

Naegi frowned in worry. "..I see. Ah!" He turned to face Shinji again. "Is there something you need?"

 _How did he know? Mother's intuition?_ "Ah, yes, actually. Sainoji and Mioda have woken up again, and both seem to be have calmed down."

"I see…Um, Kirigiri-san should still be in the communications room. I'm sorry, I'd go there myself but…" Naegi trailed off as he turned to the door again.

Shinji sighed, but figured that Naegi would probably do a better job diffusing the situation.

"I understand. Thank you." Shinji bowed slightly as he made his way down the hall, silently wishing Naegi good luck. _Heh. Talk about irony._

* * *

"You mean you just stood there and watched Nanami die?!"

Makoto flinched at the force of Hinata's words. Even during the school trials, he had never heard the older boy speak with such fierce fury. He took in the scene. Hinata, shoulders hunched, fists clenched, and absolutely seething with anger. Komaeda in stark comparison, was the very picture of calm. He couldn't see Nanami's expression due to how the laptop was angled, but he could tell from her tone of voice that the AI was incredibly concerned. Makoto cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Hinata unclenched his fists and straightened slightly upon seeing him. Komaeda's entire expression brightened up and..were those sparkles? No…Makoto was probably just imagining those.

"U-um…Good afternoon." He walked closer as he spoke so that Nanami would be able to see him. "So…Is there anything I can help with?"

"Yes, actually"; Hinata began. "You said that your friend, Fujisaki, programmed Nanami, right? Did he know that Nanami was a real person?"

Makoto's eyes widened in surprise before the gears started turning in his head. _So Komaeda-senpai had recovered that much of his memories already?_ No, he could ponder on that later. For now, he owed Hinata some answers.

"…Yes. I didn't know Nanami-san personally…Other than Komaeda-senpai, I didn't interact much with your classmates. But I remember seeing Fujisaki-san together with Nanami-san a lot before the Tragedy occurred."

Hinata's expression turned panicked. "So then…Is it true? Is she really dead?"

Makoto nodded his head sadly. "…Yes. Enoshima-san killed her. Nanami-san…She was the only one in her class that refused to succumb to despair. I suppose because of that, Enoshima-san thought that she would become more useful as a catalyst to drive her classmates further to despair."

"That's why she killed her?! For such a selfish reason?!"

"I'm sorry…At the time, I hadn't realized Enoshima-san's true nature. If I had, then—"

"No, Naegi it's fine. You didn't do anything wrong." Hinata swerved, pointing an accusatory finger at Komaeda. "But _you!_ You were there and you didn't do anything to help her! She was your friend! How could you abandon her like that?! How could you just let her _die_?!" There were tears streaming down Hinata's face now and his breathing sounded ragged. Komaeda laughed in response to Hinata's accusation.

"Kamakura-kun…You talk as if you're free of guilt. How could you forget—"

" _Komaeda-senpai, stop!_ Please, don't say anything more!"

"I'm sorry, Naegi-kun. If you'd made any other request, I'd be more than happy to oblige. But this…This is something Kamakura-kun needs to know."

"But—!"

Hinata turned to Naegi, eyes pleading "Naegi, please. I want to know." The taller brunet turned his attention back to Komaeda. "Tell me."

"Kamakura-kun…You killed Nanami-san."

* * *

 **Omake**

"I win again"; Chiaki announced triumphantly as the victory music on her gamegirl played. Hinata groaned in defeat, lowering his own console.

"I give up. There's no way I could ever beat the SHSL Gamer."

Chiaki hummed thoughtfully as she restarted the game. "Hmm…But it's still fun to play games with me, right?"

Hinata closed his eyes in thought. "I wonder…Is it?"

Chiaki pouted as she playfully punched his arm. "Of course it is."

Hinata chuckled, making a show of rubbing the arm she'd punched. "Right, right! Of course! Ah." Hinata's pocket buzzed.

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't realize it was this late already"; he said as he took his phone out. "I have to head home."

"Same time tomorrow?" Chiaki asked with a smile.

Hinata was silent for a while as he put his things away. When he finally responded, his eyes looked sad. "Yeah. Same time."

* * *

*Konpeito is a type of Japanese candy that's small and made of powdered sugar. They're also really, really cute to look at.

So I guess this classifies as an AU now, huh?


	9. Memory

**Chapter 9: Memory**

Games. That was all that mattered to Chiaki Nanami. When she could play, what she could play, what she planned to play. If an esper ever read her mind, they'd be disappointed to find nothing but a jargon of combo moves and release dates. Once again, Chiaki walked the path to her school, her Gamegirl beeping with each button she pressed. _After I play this, I'll start playing the new Persona 5. But before that, I have to stop by the game store on the way home to pick up Fire Emblem Echoes. After that, when I get home, I have to play — no —_ conquer _that dating sim yamadaisthecoolest recommended…What was it called again? Hatoful Boy—_

She had bumped into something. But that was strange, the spaceship on her screen was still moving forward, unaffected by the sudden intrusion.

"Oh, um…Sorry about that."

Ah. She hadn't bumped into something, she'd bumped into some _one_. In real life. She paused her game and looked up. Green eyes stared back at her in slight confusion.

"Ah…I'm sorry as well."

Chiaki moved aside to sit at the base of the fountain. She continued to play, eyes never leaving her console's screen.

"Is that Galaga?" The boy asked. Chiaki's ears immediately perked up. She finally lifted her head up to meet the eyes of the other person. Green eyes bore into hers. The boy was fairly nondescript, wearing a reserve course uniform. Chiaki quickly stood, tilting her head up to meet the much taller boy's face.

"You know it?!"

"Huh? Ah, yeah. It's a great game."

"Then, do you want to play with me?"

* * *

The bells chimed, signaling the end of class. Nanami quickly gathered up her things and uttered a quick farewell to her classmates. Nagito watched in fascination as the newly elected class rep nearly stumbled over her words and feet in her rush to leave. While it wasn't strange for Nanami to display an act of clumsiness, it was certainly quite rare. Nagito couldn't help but wonder what the gamer was up to to leave her in such a frazzled state.

"Lately, Nanami-san's been leaving in a rush after class ends."

Souda looked over him as he moved to gather up his things as well. "Eh. She's probably just in a rush to buy a new game or something."

"But she's been acting like that for quite some time. I find it hard to believe that a high school student would have so much money saved up, they could purchase a new game everyday."

"Really?" Sonia piped up, slinging her bag over shoulder. "My allowance would equate to 800,000 yen per week. Would that still not be sufficient to buy at least one new game each day? Are Japanese games really so expensive? Oh, as expected of the birthplace of !"

The majority of the class had their jaws to the floor at Sonia's statement.

"As expected of a genuine princess!" Souda gushed.

"Hmph!" Hiyoko let out a pout. "Just because you're a princess, doesn't mean you can brag about how rich you are! You don't see me or that tiny yakuza bragging about our allowances!"

Kuzuryuu slammed his fist on the table. "Hey! Out of everyone in this room, you're that last person I want to hear that insult from!"

Before the conversation could derail any further, Nagito decided to cut in. "Yes, well…Whatever it is that has our class rep so preoccupied, it's probably something - or someone - that makes her incredibly happy."

"Wait, some _one";_ Mioda ran up to Nagito's desk in a flash, face beaming with curiosity, "Do you think Chiaki-chan's got herself a boyfriend?!"

Silence filled the room.

" _No."_ The young yakuza heir uttered, voice sounding threatening. "We are _not_ spyi—"

The doors slammed open and Yukizome-sensei rushed in. "I heard everything!"

Kuzuryuu let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God you're here, Sensei. Listen, could you—"

"Let's spy on Nanami and her mystery boyfriend!"

Kuzuryuu slunk down his chair, sighing in defeat. " _Why._ "

* * *

"I see them!" Mioda exclaimed excitedly as she pointed at Nanami and her mystery "extracurricular activity". Sainoji and Koizumi were quick to shush the boisterous musician. The rest of the class spared worried glances at their class rep, hoping she hadn't overheard them. Thankfully, she was too engrossed in her game to notice. The class let out a collective sigh of relief and moved to get a better view of the pair.

Nagito's eyes narrowed in confusion the moment he laid eyes on Nanami's companion. "That's strange…Isn't that the uniform for reserve course students?"

"Huh?" Yukizome shifted slightly to get a better view. A look of recognition dawned on her face after laying eyes on the boy. "Oh, you're right. It's Hinata-kun."

"Sensei, you know him?" Tsumiki asked.

"Yes, I met him on the first day I started teaching you all."

"What's he like?" Owari asked, munching on a snack that she'd gotten from who knows where.

"Um, well, I've only spoken to him a few times, so I can't say much, but he seems like a nice boy."

"He has a nice body…" Nekomaru commented. All eyes turned to the manager. "…What?"

Souda couldn't seem to look at the taller teen in the eye. "Dude, you're not…Do you swing that way?"

"Swing what way?"

"N-no, like…Do you like guys."

"Of course I like guys! I am friends with many guys!"

"No, that's not what I—"

"The old man isn't checking that guy out, if that's what you mean." Owari interrupted. "He's talking about how that guy's probably built really well and would be a good athlete if he was trained properly."

"Oh. _Oh._ He-heh. My bad."

"Shhhhh!" Surprisingly, it was Mioda that silenced everyone. "Ibuki's ears are picking something up!" She crouched down behind a bush, craning her neck and putting both hands close to her ears.

As she said this, Nagito noticed the Nanami and the brunet —Hinata— were engaged in a conversation.

"Mioda-onee, what are they saying?"

Mioda cleared her throat, performing a perfect impression of their class rep's voice. "I win again." Mioda's voice then switched to a lower octave. The rest of the class wasn't sure what the mystery reserve student's voice sounded like, but given how spot on Mioda's earlier impression of Nanami was, coupled by the look of awe plastered on Yukizome's face, the rest of the class was inclined to believe that Mioda's impression had once again been flawless.

"Of course. You always win."

The class noticed the boy lowering his console, smiling despite his defeat. "Uh, can we play a different game now?"

Nanami placed a finger to her mouth in thought. "Then…what about Mario Kart? I was playing the Wii version with my classmates earlier and it was a lot of fun!"

Hinata smiled. "Sounds like you're really close to your classmates."

"Mm-hm! We're all friends! Ah, what about you, Hinata-kun? Do you have any close friends in your class?"

Hinata frowned, turning to look away. "No…None of us are really friendly with each other. We all just…keep to ourselves."

Mioda stopped and turned to her classmates. "We should stop. It sounds like it's getting personal."

Yukizome nodded. "I agree. Well, at least we've ascertained that Nanami's mystery boy is a good person. I'm sure they'll be a good influence on each other.

Deciding to bottle up their curiosity on how the pair's conversation would continue, the class smiled and settled on agreeing with their teacher. That guy - Hinata - seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and most importantly, he made Nanami happy.

"I disagree."

All eyes turned to Nagito. He had remained quiet throughout, assessing Hinata's worth in silence. "A worthless reserve course student like that…He isn't worthy of someone as talented as Nanami-san."

Kuzuryuu rounded on him, grabbing the collar of his shirt. " _Worth?!_ What right do you have to judge someone's worth?! Especially when you just came into this school by sheer dumb luck!"

Yukizome laid a hand on Kuzuryuu's shoulder and raised a finger to her mouth. "Shh! Let's head back everyone, alright?"

The class walked in silence, the earlier mirth now almost completely diminished. Finally, once they were far enough away, Kuzuryuu spoke up again.

"Hey, _you._ "

"Hm?" Nagito turned, bracing himself for an onslaught of questions and the rough way the yakuza heir tended to handle people.

"Answer me. What about that guy wasn't 'worthy'. And don't just say it's because he's a reserve course student, or so help me I'll—"

"It would appear that you don't quite understand what being a reserve course student means." Nagito stopped and turned to fully face his classmates.

The rest of the class stopped in their tracks, curious to hear Nagito's response. Yukizome looked at her students anxiously, probably trying to find a way to diffuse the situation. Nagito felt bad for troubling such a kind teacher, but he felt he needed to educate his talented classmates on what set them apart from others.

"Reserve course students…they're even _lower_ than regular human beings. They're unsatisfied with how the world's view on the elite has shifted, so they pay absurd amounts of money so that they can keep up with this new class of elite. That guy…he mentioned that his class isn't close. That shouldn't come as a surprise. All of those students are aiming for a spot in Hope's Peak to open, after all. They're all competing with each other; and for selfish, self-entitled people like that, the notion of even making friends with low-lives like themselves is unthinkable. They're weak, yet won't accept it, so everyday, they-"

"That's _enough!"_

Yukizome had her hands on her hips, brow furrowed in anger. "Everyone, dismissed! Komaeda-san, you're coming with me!"

The class immediately obeyed, slightly stunned by their usually mild mannered teacher suddenly raising her voice. The former SHSL Housekeeper waited patiently until all of her students dispersed before motioning for Nagito to follow her back into the main school building.

* * *

"Komaeda-san, please take a seat."

Nagito complied. Yukizome took a seat across from him. The atmosphere felt heavy and his teacher wore a concerned frown, clasping both hands in front of her and worrying her lip. Finally, she let out a sigh and spoke.

"Komaeda-san, what does talent mean to you?"

"Everything. It is the shining, brilliant hope of the next generation. It is what determines the future. It is what brings people together. After all, talented people are ultimately the people we all turn to, the people we follow."

Yukizome nodded, eyes downcast. "You're not completely wrong. But I have to disagree with you on your first point. Talent isn't everything. People can live out their lives without being the best at what they do and still be happy."

"Of course they can live out their lives happily." Nagito said with a scoff, "They're _normal_ people. Normal people who have never been exposed to the greatness of talents don't realize just how empty their lives are!"

Yukizome shook her head. "Komaeda-san, what you're saying…That isn't right. That's not what hope is. Happiness can't be found simply through talent. Nanami-san…She found someone she cares about, and even if he lacks talent, that doesn't make him any less worthy of her attention than someone who _is_ talented."

Nagito remained silent for a while. Yukizome fiddled with her fingers anxiously as she waited for her student's response. Finally Nagito, let out a sigh of defeat.

"I suppose there's no point in arguing with you when it comes to love. I believe that someone who's as devoted to the one they love as you are would probably be more well versed in such a topic compared to me."

Yukizome could feels her face heating up. She brought her hands up to her cheeks, smiling in embarrassment. "Eh…Is it that obvious?"

"You have pages in your notebook filled with nothing but 'Mrs. Chisa Munakata."

"Ehhh?! You saw that?!"

"You need to be more careful with your things," Nagito said with a chuckle; "you know how nosy your students tend to be."

Yukizome let out a chuckle as well, finally letting her hands down and relaxing her tense muscles. "Well…so long as you understand now." She stood up, making a "shoo" gesture with her hand. "Now then, off you go!"

Nagito smiled as he stood and bowed slightly before exiting the room. Once the door was closed, his smile faded. _I'm sorry Yukizome-sensei…But I just can't agree with your viewpoint._ With clenched fists, he made his way to the classroom of the 77th class. Maybe Enoshima would offer much better insight.

* * *

"…I killed?"

"Ah, so you don't remember. It was quite the spectacle. Possibly the most gruesome execution I've ever seen. We were all powerless to stop it. Well…except for you. But you didn't do anything and-"

"No. _No."_

Flashes. Blood. Nanami. Screaming.

"Yo-you're wrong. Th-that's-"

Nanami. Being stabbed. Again and again. Blood everywhere."

"I'm sorry, Kamakura-kun, it's the truth." He let out a dry chuckle. "And you know what els-"

 _Slap._

Hajime paused. He looked up, and looming over Komaeda… was Naegi, arm raised and expression furious. This was the first time he had ever seen the younger boy wear such an expression. Komaeda was stunned to silence as well, looking up unblinkingly at his underclassman. Naegi turned to Hinata, and the former Despair could feel his back unconsciously straighten.

"Hinata-kun, take Nanami-san with you and leave. I need to speak with Komaeda-senpai. Alone." His gaze softened as he spoke again; "I promise, I'll tell you the rest later."

Hinata nodded silently, grabbing the laptop and exiting without a word. His gut told him it would be best to leave this in Naegi's hands. It was then that he realized the phrase "Beware the nice ones" fit the shorter brunet perfectly.

* * *

Makoto turned his full attention back to Komaeda once the door closed.

"You went too far,"

"I was only telling the truth."

Makoto closed his eyes and took deep breaths. His sister wasn't kidding when she'd warned him how difficult Komaeda could be. Watching him from a screen was one thing. Actually trying to hold a civil conversation with him was an entirely different thing. Makoto let out a tired sigh.

"Do you not think of Hinata-kun as your friend?"

"Of course not! Trash like me have no right to call myself the friend of someone so great!"

Makoto looked at him sadly.

"Komaeda-senpai…Do you think of me as a friend?"

Komaeda looked floored by the mere suggestion.

"There's absolutely no way! For someone like me to-"

"Please stop talking about yourself like that. Komaeda-senpai, I'd really like to be your friend. And I'd really like it if you could learn to get along with the others, especially Hinata-kun."

"…Why 'especially' Hinata-kun?"

Makoto paused. Komaeda had addressed Hinata by his real name. Not Kamakura. Alright, that's progress…

He drew closer to Komaeda, gaze determined.

"Komaeda-senpai, why won't you let yourself be happy?"

Komaeda looked back, confused.

"What are you talking about, Naegi-kun. I'm always happy!"

Makoto shook his head sadly.

"No. No, you're not. Because you won't _allow_ yourself. I don't know why, but I'd like to help in any way I can."

Komaeda's expression shifted, gaze sharpening.

"Because I'm as much responsible for Nanami-san's death as HInata-kun."

Makoto shook his head. "Komaeda-senpai, you and all of your classmates were manipulated by Enoshima-san. You can't take all of the blame upon yourselves. And even so, I'm sure Nanami-san wouldn't want you to continue to agonize over her death. She'd want you to be happy."

Komaeda smiled sadly. "You really _are_ hope. For a second, you almost inspired me. _Almost_. But I'm still despair. Despair that admires hope more than anything."

Makoto let out a tired sigh but relented. He had a feeling Komaeda would be the most difficult to reform.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll check up on you again tomorrow."

Makoto walked away, pausing just before reaching the door.

"And I'm sorry for slapping you."

Komaeda smiled.

"It's alright. I barely felt it."

Makoto puffed his cheeks a little at the jab, but felt a bit of relief. Bringing pain unto others wasn't something he enjoyed doing.

* * *

Hajime walked down the hall, feeling a bit light headed after absorbing all of the information Komaeda had mercilessly thrown his way. His grip on the laptop he held tightened.

 _If Nanami was real…I need to remember…Back then, what-_

"It's Hajime-chaaaaaan!"

Hajime instinctively dodged, lifting the laptop above his head as an extra safety precaution.

The person that had attempted to assault him paused, turning to him with a pout. Hajime gasped.

"Mioda?"

She grinned and pointed a thumb to her chest.

"The one and only! And you must be…"

She trailed off and took a few steps closer.

"Are you another twin of Hajime-chan's, or are you the real thing?"

"Uh…It's really me."

"But I don't remember Hajime-chan having red eyes. Are you sure? Hey, Shinji-chan!"

Hajime turned and his eyes widened in surprise, taking in the sight of an older, taller Sainoji. She returned his gaze with a deadly glare. Yup, that was her alright.

"You don't have to yell, Mioda. What is it?"

"So like, you have green eyes, but this Hajime-chan has red eyes. Are you sure you two didn't switch?" Mioda gasped, putting both of her hands on her cheeks. "Are you two having a twin identity crisis?!"

The pair uttered a confused "Huh?" in unison.

Sainoji let out a frustrated sigh. "Ugh, can you three finish up your dumb comedy routine and get me some aspirin already? I feel like my headache's getting worse just listening to you lot."

Koizumi lay a calming hand on her friend's shoulder and offered a smile. This seemed to simmer the dancer down. Koizumi turned her attention back to the trio, eyes drifting to the laptop still held aloft by Hajime.

"Hinata-kun…What are you doing with that laptop?"

Hajime blinked, then let out an awkward chuckle, finally lowering his arms.

"Oh, right…Uh, Nanami, say hi to everyone."

He flipped the laptop around so that the gamer was facing everyone. Before she could say anything, Mioda let out a high pitched screech.

"Noooo! Chiaki-chan played so much video games that she got trapped in one!"

"Calm down, Mioda! Nanami, is…Well…Actually, it's kind of a long story. Why don't I fill the both of you in while we walk?

* * *

They entered the cafeteria, where everyone else was already waiting. Sonia stood up excitedly and ran up to her friends, quickly followed by the rest of their classmates with varying levels of excitement.

"Woah, Sonia-chan, you cut her hair!"

Sonia chuckled. "Yes, does it look good?"

"Totally!"

"Pffft. Looks like the tiny yakuza didn't grow _at all_."

" _You little."_

"Cut it out you two."

"Yes, gladly."

"Peko-chan, that's not what I meant. Please put the sword away."

"Aaaaah, Koizumi-onee she's still swinging it!"

"Hah! You're taller than her and you're still calling her 'onee'?!"

"Shut up, Souda-onii- Pfffft, Are those glasses?! You look like a nerd!"

" _I do not_." The mechanic turned to Hajime, expression worried. "Do I?"

"Huh?" Hajime snapped back to attention. "Um, not really."

Souda let out a sigh of relief. "Ok, good."

"Glad to see you're all getting along just fine."

Kirigiri entered the room, followed closely by Togami, both as calm and poised as ever. Mioda, not so much.

"Ahhhhh! Another Byakuya-chan!"

Hajime placed a calming hand on the musician's shoulder.

"Mioda, I told you, that's the _real_ Togami."

"Huh? Oh, right. Hmmmm."

Mioda approached Togami, breaching his personal space. Offended, the scion gently pushed her back.

"I dunno. I liked you better when you looked like a pig. You looked cuter!"

"Yeah!" Sainoji chimed in. "It was easier to make fun of you when you looked like that!"

"Need I remind you that I _never_ looked like that?! That was not me, but an impostor!"

Shinji fidgeted nervously upon hearing the remark, inching farther back and hiding behind Hanamura. The chef, to everyone's surprise, did not make any disturbing comments at the other boy's closeness. Naegi's influence must have been rubbing off on him. Instead, he lay a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Kirgiri sent a glare in Togami's direction. The blond coughed awkwardly into his hand before addressing his former lookalike.

"I did not intend to make you feel uncomfortable."

That was probably the closest the scion could get to apologizing. Shinji's expression shifted to one of relief.

"No, it is alright."

"Hmmmmm." Mioda's musings quickly cut the tension in the air. "Alright then, who's this?" The musician asked, swiftly changing the subject. She drew closer towards Kirigiri, studying her.

"Ibuki doesn't remember seeing you in the virtual world."

Kirigiri mimicked her classmate's earlier actions towards the older girl's breach of personal space before responding.

"That's because we had never met in the game."

"Ooooh, now I remember. You guys appeared when Hajime-chan and the others beat the final boss!"

"That is correct. Then I trust that Hinata-kun was able to fill you in on all of the necessary information?"

"Yup, yup!" Mioda suddenly grabbed hold of Kirigiri's hands and began shaking them vigorously.

"Thanks so much for saving us!"

She let go and quickly switched over to Togami. The blond wore a minuscule smile in response.

"If there's anyone you should be thanking, it should be Naegi, he's the one who convinced us that you were all worth saving."

"Oh yeah, Hajime-chan mentioned him too! So where is he? Ibuki-chan would love to thank him! So does Hiyoko-chan!"

"Hey, don't decide things for me! But…I guess I _do_ owe him…"

Kirigiri's expression became strained. "He's…a bit busy at the moment, but don't worry, you'll meet him soon enough. For now, why don't you all catch up with each other?"

"Oh, that's a great idea! Ibuki wants to know more about our saviors too!"

"When she said 'catch up', she meant among yourselves." Togami deadpanned.

The bespectacled blond felt a slight push on his back. Sainoji peeked behind him, smiling mischievously. "Oh no you don't, bean pole. You're going to have to sit through group therapy with the rest of us!"

"Bean pole?!"

Kirgiri put a finger under chin in thought. "Group therapy…that's not a bad idea."

"Kirgiri, you're taking this seriously?!"

"Alright!" Mioda yelled, settling herself in the center. "It's time to unload our emotional baggage!"

Hajime took a seat in the oddly shaped clrcle his friends had formed, placing the laptop securely on his lap. He faced it forward so that Nanami could see all of their friends' faces. The brunet felt himself smile and relax again for the first time since his conversation with Komaeda.

* * *

In the otherwise quiet night, the sounds of footsteps against sand and soft whispers could be heard.

"Are you sure coming here was a good idea?" asked a cautious boy with blue hair.

"Of course! I'm sure Mako-onii will be thrilled to see us!" exclaimed an the lone girl decked in pink and frills.

"Yeah! He might even give us lots of candy as a reward!" an energetic redhead chimed in.

"B-but what will Komaru-nee say?" a bashful brunet asked, quickening his pace.

"Aw, she'll be fine with it. If anything she'll be just as thankful! We're helping her precious big bro after all." The girl hummed excitedly to herself, ignoring the brunet's worried mutterings.

"I dearly hope you're right." The blue haired boy said with a sigh.

"Of course I am. Someone as cute as me can only be right 99.9% of the time."

"And the other .1%?"

"The time I thought siding with that pickled haired brat was a good idea."

"…Right."

* * *

 **Omake**

"Hajime-chaaaaan! It's an emergency!"

Hajime rushed into the hallway, his friends following after him.

"What is it Mioda?!"

"Why didn't you tell Ibuki?"

Hajime felt his heart sink. Did she know about-

"Why didn't you tell Ibuki you had a son?!"

 _What._

Mioda faced him, pushing a frazzled Naegi in front of him.

"Mioda, what are you talking about? He's not-"

"Nu-uh! You can't fool me! He may have Nagito-chan's face and voice, but he's got your hair and eyes! Even your cute antenna thing!"

Souda let out a gasp. "Holy crap, she's right! Why didn't we realize it sooner?!"

Hajime could feel his face heat up in a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and pure horror.

"Wait, are you all forgetting that we're both men?!"

Sainoji shrugged her shoulders. "Eh. After what we've been through, I feel like a man getting pregnant is the least weird thing we've had to deal with."

That…was actually a pretty good argument. Why did the least agreeable person in the room have to point it out?

"Hinata-kun." Kirigiri approached him, face set. Finally, someone reliable to clear this horrific understanding.

"Oh, Kirigiri. I'm so glad-"

Kirigiri took his hands in hers.

"I promise I will take good care of your son."

Only one word rang throughout Hajime's mind.

Whhhhhyyyyyyy.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for all the late updates. College is hard.

Also, just to clarify some timeline stuff for this fic, Hajime and Chiaki met in their second year of high school instead of their first, which is why Junko's already there. Also, Chiaki's death is going to go about differently...


	10. Acceptance

**Chapter 10: Acceptance**

In a dark room with an oppressive atmosphere, the most powerful members of Hope's Peak Academy sat around a large table.

"It's been a year, has a subject been decided yet?"

"I thought we agreed on that reserve course student?"

"It hasn't been set in stone yet, but given our findings on him…I'd say he's our best fit."

* * *

They were all seated, having their first dinner with two of their newly awakened friends. After settling the rather awkward misunderstanding that Mioda had caused, the musician quickly warmed up to Makoto. Even Sainoji seemed to express gratitude towards him…in her own special way.

"Ah, Hero-chan, you have hiyoko* biscuits?! You've been holding out on me!"

She'd given him the nickname "Hero", but it was certainly one of her better nicknames, and whenever she uttered it, there didn't seem to be any malice in her tone.

"Ah, I forgot I brought those with me. Would you like some?"

"Of course! That's one of my favorite snacks!"

Sainoji gratefully accepted the biscuits from the younger boy and set them aside. "For dessert", she'd said when asked why.

There was a buzz in Makoto's pocket. He took it out and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Kirigiri asked, leaning over to look at the phone. She frowned when she saw the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Ah, onii-chan! It's terrible! I-I lost them! I can't find them and - and -"

"Komaru, calm down. Who did you lose?"

There was a commotion from outside before the door burst open, revealing four grade schoolers. Makoto stood up in surprise and rushed to the children's side. In his haste, he dropped his phone, but Kirigiri caught it with practiced ease before it hit the floor.

"This is Kirigiri. Your brother has found the children."

"Ehhh?! They went to Jabberwock Island?! No, that can't - Ah, Touko-chan, I need you to-"

The call was abruptly cut off in Komaru's panic. Kirgiri sighed and set the phone aside, focusing her attention back on Makoto.

"What are you all doing here?!" He asked, voice tinged with worry.

"I'm really sorry, Mako-nii", Nagisa began, "but-"

"But I found a super major helpful clue for helping you reform some of the students!" Kotoko finished, smiling smugly.

"A clue? Wait, no, more importantly, how did you get here?!"

"We swam!" Masaru piped up excitedly.

"What?!"

"He's only joking, Mako-nii;" Nagisa supplied, sparing a glare in Masaru's direction.

"Y-yeah. We just stole a boat."

There was a moment of silence as Makoto felt all of his pent up stress well up. He swayed a little and fell backwards, but was caught by a swift Kirigiri. Makoto planted his face in his palm, not sure how to even process his current situation.

"A boat…You stole a boat…"

"Naegi-kun, I think you should rest. We can take it from here."

"What?! No!" Kotoko yelled, stomping her feet on the ground. We came all this way to see Mako-nii again!"

Kirigiri leveled a glare at the younger girl that instantly silenced her. She looked back down to gauge Makoto's current condition…only to find him fast asleep in her arms. She sighed and turned to Togami.

"Could you carry Naegi-kun to his room?"

Togami complied, placing the smaller boy on his back.

"From heir to the biggest conglomerate, to carrying a scrawny kid…"

Kirgiri smirked, "But this scrawny kid's your best friend."

Togami made a choking noise, but didn't deny the statement. He left the cafeteria, trying very hard to ignore the curious and shocked gazes his upperclassmen sent his way. After closing the door, Kirigiri turned back to the group of grade schoolers.

"Alright, you four have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

Komaru ran out into the hall of the Future Foundation Headquarters, calling for Touko.

"Touko-chan! Touko-ch - Uwa!"

Komaru bumped into something big and hard. Upon realizing that what she had bumped into was not in fact a wall, but a person, Komaru quickly got back up and began to apologize profusely.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention and-"

"Ha ha, it's fine!" A masked man replied, laughing heartily. Great Gozu helped Komaru back up.

"If you're looking for Fukawa, I saw her in the break room with Asahina."

"Really?! Oh, thank you so much, Gozu-san!"

"No problem. But what's got you running in such a rush?"

"Um…well…"

Komaru wasn't sure how she noticed given that Gozu was wearing a mask, but she could somehow tell that the former wrestler had a concerned look on his face.

"Does it have to do with your brother's…current mission?"

Komaru nodded. Gozu had been supportive of Makoto's decisions from the start, so she knew he could be trusted. Gozu stiffened at the brunette's response.

"…I see. Well, if you need any help, don't ever hesitate to ask."

Komaru beamed. "I will. Thank you, Gozu-san!"

Komaru sprinted past him, making a mental note to enlist Gozu's help if their current predicament got too out of hand. _He looks scary, but as I thought, Gozu-san's a good guy!_

Komaru finally made it to the break room, but paused when she overheard voices. She recognized Touko's and Asahina's, but the third…

"Y-Y-You keep that thing away from me!"

"I-It wasn't my intention, I promise!"

"Ah, Fukawa-chan, calm down! I'm sure Kimura-san didn't mean anything by it! Besides, you grabbed the drink before she could even say anything!"

"So you're siding with her, Donut girl! You traitor!"

Kimura. Komaru remembered now, she was one of the branch leaders that was against reforming the 77th class.

 _Should I go in now? Or should I wait until Kimura-san leaves? If I wait, would I look to suspicious?_

"T-The side effects aren't even noticeable. You'll be back too normal soon!"

 _Back to normal?_ Succumbing to her curiosity, Komaru tentatively opened the door a crack. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Saying that the "side effects" weren't noticeable was a _major_ understatement.

Touko had a moustache.

In her shock, Komaru let out a surprised yelp. All eyes turned to her.

"K-Komaru?!"

"Ah, sorry. I was, uh…um…I feel like I came at the wrong time…"

"S-see?! Did you see her reaction?! Fix what you did to me this instant! What if Byakuya-sama sees me like this?!"

"I-I'm sorry, but I haven't figured out an antedote yet. But it should wear off in a few hours…"

"Hours?!"

"Touko-chan, more importantly!"

Komaru grabbed both Touko and Asahina's hands and pulled them out of the room. Kimura stared at their retreating backs before breathing a sigh of relief once they were out of sight.

"…But what did that girl come here for? Does it have to do with the 77th class?"

* * *

Komaru finally let go of the two older girls once they reached an empty room. She peeked outside, making sure that no one was around to eavesdrop before going back inside.

"Komaru-chan, what's wrong? Did something happen with Naegi-kun and the others?"

Touko scoffed, but with her new mustache, the effect it had made it difficult for Komaru to stifle her laughter. "Pfft, of course it's about her brother. Your bro-con complex acting up again or something - Stop laughing! It's not that funny! You too, donut girl!"

"S-sorry, Touko-chan!" Komaru closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before finally settling down. When she opened her eyes again, her expression was serious.

"It's about the kids. The Warriors of Hope. They're with my brother."

The older girls let out a shocked gasp.

"What?! How?!" Touko exclaimed, "Where would they even find a boat?! And who would be stupid enough to lend a bunch of kids a boat?!"

"I think I know someone…" Asahina offered, expression becoming sour. Touko seemed to realize who the swimmer was referring to, as her expression changed to one of bitter distaste.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"What? Who are we talking about?"

The two former classmates exchanged a look before responding; " _Hagakure._ "

At a dock not far from Future Foundation's headquarters, a bespectacled man let out a sneeze.

"Aw, man. I hope no one's talking bad about me…Hm…Maybe taking those kids' money wasn't such a good idea after all…Naw, I think I'm good!"

* * *

"It was the old guy with the crazy hair!" Kotoko announced defiantly, "He's one of your co-workers, right? So if he gave the 'ok', then there's nothing wrong with us being here!"

In that moment for the first time in her life, Kyouko felt the urge to murder one of her former classmates. She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.

"So just to be clear, it was Hagakure-kun that lent you the boat?"

"That's correct", Nagisa replied.

"And none of you threatened him in any way?"

"Of course not!" Kotoko cried with a huff, "We just flashed a couple of fat bills in his face, and he was puddy in our fingers!"

Kyouko felt her eye twitch. She would have a _very_ long talk with Hagakure once she got back.

"Um…" Kyouko looked up in surprise. It was the first time HInata had spoken since his "talk" with Komaeda. The others had been constantly casting him worried glances throughout dinner.

"I know you've already got your plate full dealing with Future Foundation affairs, so if you'd like, I could look after the kids for a while."

"Ooh, that's a great idea, Hajime-chan! Ibuki wants to play with cute kiddies too!"

Kyouko felt her lips tug up to a small smile. She felt pride swell up within her. Ah, is this what a parent feels when witnessing their child's growth? But no, there was still one more thing that was bothering her. She turned to address the children again.

"What did you mean when you said that you had information to help reform our upperclassmen?"

"Ah, right"; Nagisa begins, "Back when we were part of Despair, we worked closely with someone named Nagito Komaeda."

"Well, more like, he was our underpaid servant;" Kotoko said with a snicker.

"Um…I don't think we ever paid him." Jataro added.

"Anyway," Nagisa continued, "We heard from Onee-chan that he woke up, so we think we might be able to help reform him."

"Onee-chan?" Hinata asked.

"They're referring to Naegi-kun's little sister." Kyouko supplied.

"Wait, so there's some one smaller than the little guy?" Owari asked between chews. With everyone distracted by their new guests, the gymnast had taken the opportunity to snatch their leftovers.

Kyouko cracked a small, teasing smile. "No. She may be his little sister, but she's actually taller than him."

"Oh. So he's like Baby Gangster."

"N-Natsumi wasn't _that_ much taller than me!"

"Do you guys get off on tangent like this all the time?" Kotoko asked, looking unimpressed. "No wonder you guys haven't made any progress with that psycho marshmallow."

Kyouko turned back to address the children, who all snapped at attention the minute she turned her gaze on them.

"Komaeda-kun recently had an episode, so I'd advise meeting with him tonight. If he appears to be in a calmer state tomorrow, I'll see if I can get him to meet with you."

Nagisa smiled. "Understood! We'll do our best!"

Kyouko found herself smiling back. She turned to Hinata; "Alright then, I'll leave them to you. You four, don't give your new babysitters a hard time."

"Babysitters?! We're not ba-" Nagisa quickly placed a hand to cover Masaru's mouth.

"Yes, don't worry! We'll be good!"

"Yes! We'll be the absolute sweetest!" Kotoko added with a grin.

"I-I don't think I can be sweet…" Jataro muttered.

Kyouko nodded before turning to leave. She now had a lot of damage control to work on thanks to a certain fortune teller.

* * *

After the doors closed, Kotoko and Masaru's expressions turned sour.

"Ugh, jeez. Why do we have to get looked after by this antenna wannabe? I came here to play Mako-nii! Heck, even that detective onee-chan would have been fine!"

"Yeah! I still haven't beat him in hide-and-seek! Hey, you!"

Hajime felt himself stiffen at the rude way he was being addressed…Not that it was anything he wasn't used to. "Yes?"

"How good are you at hide and seek?"

"The both of you, that's enough!" Nagisa yelled, instantly silencing his friends. He turned to Hajime and bowed slightly. "I apologize for their rude behavior."

"Yeah, don't take it personally," Jataro added, "They're like this with almost everyone."

"It's alright. For now, why don't you four get something to eat?"

"But I already ate! Now I'm itching to play!" Masaru exclaimed, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet. His energy seemed to be infectious, as the rest of Hajime's friends all began chattering excitedly over the prospect of playing hide and seek at night.

"Aw yeah! Ibuki's totes great at hide and seek!"

"I often played hide and seek in my country as well! I was quite excellent at it!"

"Woah, really Sonia-san?! Well, I don't wanna brag, but-"

"Yes! Totally! Count me in! You're playing too, right Koizumi-onee?!"

"Huh? Oh, yes, of course."

"Woah, all of you big bros and sis are going to play with us?!" Masaru asked, eyes shining.

"Of course! Everyone in here is a kid at heart!" Hanamura replied with a smile.

"Ah, right! Before I forget!" Kotoko turned to Jataro. "Hey! You remembered to bring them with you, right? The cute fuzzies?" Jataro nodded. He dug into his pockets and produced…four familiar hamsters. Sonia squealed in delight at the sight.

"Sun-D! Maga-P! Jum-P! Cham-P!"

"Oh, so you're the princess! Welp, that settles it! Give 'em to her, Jataro!"

Jataro nodded and carefully handed each one to Sonia. The blonde giggled in delight as the hamsters nuzzled her nose and settled on her shoulders. Souda watched in quiet, envious silence. Kotoko, of course, couldn't help but comment on her expression.

The former actress moved closer to Masaru and held a hand up to her hand, speaking in a mock whisper. "Hey, hey~ Do you think that shark toothed guy has a crush on the princess? She's so cute, though, so I don't think he has a chance~"

Souda turned to glare at the pigtailed girl. "Hey, I can hear you, you know!"

Kotoko snickered before tottering off, with Masaru close at her heels. Souda let out a low growl as he continued to glare at the children's retreating forms. Hajime let out a tired sigh before clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, listen up! Here are the rules."

* * *

Lying on a bed, isolated from everyone else, Nagito's eyes fluttered open. "It sounds like everyone's having fun…"

"Ah, you're finally awake, Komaeda-kun."

"Alter Ego…So you're babysitting me now?"

Alter Ego nodded, but didn't elaborate. Komaeda smiled sadly. Yes, it was the right decision. Seeing the AI Nanami would only bring back tragic memories, and the luckster didn't feel like his current mental state could withstand reliving such memories. He closed his eyes again, allowing his former classmates' laughter to lull him to sleep.

* * *

Hajime woke up to loud chattering surrounding his bed.

"Ah! He's finally waking up!"

He recognized that voice. It belonged to that former child star. Hajime cracked one eye open, still tired from last night's game of hide and seek. Either those kids were just ridiculously fast, or he was getting old…

He got up and was greeted by four pairs of eyes.

"Um…Good morning. Can I help you?"

"Yeah! Why are there dead people inside coffins?!" Masaru asked.

"Masaru!" Nagisa reprimanded.

"What?! How else do you explain that?"

Hajime smiled and patted both boy's heads.

"Don't worry, those aren't dead bodies. Those people are just sleeping."

Kotoko's expression turned pitiful as she clasped her hands together. "Oh my goodness! He doesn't understand the concept of death despite his age!"

"No, I understand death! But those people in the coffins, they're in a coma! They're not really dead! Wait, speaking of…How did you guys break into that room? It should be locked at night…"

"We hacked into the system!" Kotoko answered in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Well…Jataro and Nagisa did. But Masaru and I provided moral support!"

"S-sorry…Were we not supposed to?" Jataro asked, eyes watering.

"N-no, it's fine. Well, not really, but It's not like you broke anything, right?" Looking after kids was tough, Hajime realized. How does Naegi do it?

"No, we didn't!" The brunet quickly replied, shaking his head. "We made sure to set everything back to normal before leaving."

"Okay, good. Is that all you wanted to ask?"

Nagisa fidgeted a bit before taking a deep breath and steeling himself. "Is it true that you're Izuru Kamakura?"

Ah, so that's why. Naegi must have told them.

"Yes, I am."

Nagisa looked taken aback, probably not used to having adults answer his questions so easily. "O-oh, you are…"

Masaru and Kotoko, however, completely lacked his reservations as both immediately jumped on the older boy's bed, talking at once.

"Can you make cute clothes?!"

"Can you transform into a robot?!"

"Can you make sweets?!"

"Can you transform into a dragon?!"

"Can you-"

Hajime let out a hearty chuckle. "Alright, one at a time! But, hmmm….How about we grab breakfast and you can ask questions while we eat?"

"Okay!" They both exclaimed, bounding for the door with Jataro following close behind.

"I'm really sorry about them," Nagisa began, bowing slightly. Hajime smiled down at him and pat his head affectionately.

"It's alright, don't worry about it."

Nagisa nodded. "You're…a lot nicer than I pictured."

"Really? Well, I'll take that as a compliment."

They continued to talk on their way to the cafeteria, with Kotoko and Masaru constantly bombarding him with questions and Nagisa and Jataro adding their input every now and then.

Kotko paused and smiled brightly. "It's Mako-nii!" The grade schooler ran up to Naegi and hugged him as soon as she reached him. The other kids followed suit, all hugging and excitedly greeting the luckster.

"Good morning everyone! I'm glad to see that you all slept well! Ah, Good morning HInata-kun."

"Good morning. Uh, did you check on Komaeda today?"

Naegi's face grew serious. Sensing the change, the kids let go and exchanged worried looks.

"He's fine…But I don't think we should let the kids to talk to him right now."

Masaru pouted as he crossed his arms across his chest. "You mean we came all this way for nothing?"

Naegi let out a chuckle. "You can't see him right now, but you can see him later. Will you all be patient for me?"

"Y-yes, of course! We came here to help you, after all!" Jataro reolied, nodding a bit excessively.

The luckster smiled. "Thanks. I really am grateful you came all this way to help us."

"Well, since we're not meeting with the psycho marshmallow today, can we look at the dead bodies?" Kotoko asked.

"Dead bodies?!"

Hinata let out a frustrated sigh. "For the last time, they're in a coma!"

* * *

Mikan Tsumiki woke up to silence. She scanned the room with dreary eyes…So she had survived. Well that was unfortunate. There was no point in living in this world if her beloved were no longer in it…Her beloved…Who was it again?

The sound of several voices from afar snapped her from her thoughts. _Ah, they must be coming to punish me…Good. I hope it's a death sentence. This horrible, despairing world…I can't bear to live in it for another second._

"For the last time, they're asleep! Naegi, back me up on thi-"

Brown hair. Red eyes. The tell-tale antenna. Ah, it was him. Izuru Kamakura. She regarded him silently, expression remaining neutral. She no longer felt despair or hope…Just nothingness.

"Tsumiki?"

"Ah, you're right, they really were asleep!" A red haired boy exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.

"Ah, kids, don't get too close!" A brunet dressed in a black suit yelled, pushing the kids further back.

"Huh? Why? Ah, has she been bullying, Mako-nii? That's unforgivable!" A pink haired girl exclaimed, clenching her small fists.

"N-no, that's not it…Ah, Nanami-san, are you there?"

 _Nanami?_

She turned and noticed a large screen for the first time. It flickered to life before revealing a pink haired girl. Her former class rep. Yes…She still remembered everything. Her descent to despair. Her first friend's death. Betrayal. Death. Blood. Beloved. Her head hurt… Ah, she was starting to lose it again…But she couldn't. She had to keep her composure…

A voice, familiar and nostalgic. "Yes, I am. Good morning, Tsumiki-san."

Mikan opened her mouth for the first time, speaking in an even tone. "I'm sorry, but could you all leave me alone for a while? I don't know how long I can keep my composure…"

The suited boy took an expression of alarm as he gently pushed the children away. "Okay kids, why don't we go ask Hanamura-kun if he can teach us how to make some sweets?"

The kids quietly allowed the short brunet to lead them out. Kamakura lingered for a while longer, looking unsure. He exchanged looks with the AI Nanami before nodding his head and turning to leave. Soon after, the screen flickered off, leaving Mikan alone to sort through her thoughts. She closed her eyes as the memories began to slowly flood back in.

* * *

Mikan Tsumiki walked down the empty hallways after school. She wiped the tears from her eyes, telling herself repeatedly that she deserved those scoldings and jeers. There was no way someone like her could be an admirable senpai. She was a fool to think that she could gain the respect of her underclassmen, let alone her own peers.

" _Tsumiki, as a student of this prestigious academy, I expect better from you!"_

" _If you're a nurse, why are you covered in bandages?! I don't want to be treated by someone that can't even take care of herself!"_

" _Ugh, stop apologizing! And what's with your hair?! Gross. I thought all of students in this academy were supposed to be elite."_

" _You're so clumsy! This school must not be all that great if someone like you got accepted."_

She paused and stared out the window. She couldn't hold it in anymore. Her vision started to blur as tears began to flow freely.

 _I'm pathetic! I'm so pathetic! Even now, nobody will still accept me!_

She continued to stand there, crying helplessly until she felt something at her back. It felt like…someone's foot? The foot pushed her down. Mikan quickly picked herself up, rubbing at her face so that her attacker wouldn't have to deal with seeing her awful, snotty, tear-stained face.

"Huh? Oh it's a person. I thought it was a giant bug."

Mikan remained silent. It was true. Her worth could be measured at the same level as a bug. She kept her head down as the clacking of heels became louder.

"Hey! When the great Junko Enoshima addresses you, you're supposed to give me your full attention!"

She felt strong hands grip her head and forcefully lift it up. She came face to face with a pretty young girl with massive pigtails. The girl smiled at her.

"Ah, that's better! Oh..Ewwww." She let go of Mikan's head, wiping her hands on her skirt.

"Ugh, is this snot? Gross. Where you holding a pity party for yourself here?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything to me."

"I'm sorry.."

"Ugh, stop apologizing, seriously! Hmmm…." Enoshima rummaged through her bag before producing a tissue packet. She pulled two out and placed one in each hand. With the tissues attached to her hands, the younger girl grabbed Mikan's face again.

"Hm…Yeah, I can work with this." She let go once more and started pulling Mikan's hand.

"Wh-where are we going?!"

"To get you a makeover! Oh, this will be my best project yet! You, my dear, are going to undergo the the biggest, greatest change in your life!"

"Eh?"

She did undergo a change after that. None of her classmates recognized her the first time they saw her new appearance.

Her hair was cut evenly and tied in a ponytail. She wore a cute, pink sweater over her shirt and hiked up her skirt. She wore make up, jewelry, and cute hair accessories. For once, she felt like she belonged. For once, she felt like she might be accepted.

But they didn't.

But it wasn't just her appearance that changed. Each precious minute she spent with Enoshima…It made her stronger. She was able to stand up to her bullies. To Sainoji. Then everyone started avoiding her.

Nanami, the first person who approached her. The first person who wanted to hang out with her, to play games, to eat lunch together. She was the first person who rejected her.

"You've changed." She'd said with sad eyes.

But that didn't matter anymore. None of them mattered anymore. What mattered was that she was happy. No one looked down on her anymore and she had Enoshima - her beloved - at her side.

But that was wrong.

Junko Enoshima had taken advantage of Mikan's gullible nature. It was easy for her to manipulate the older teen, and before long, Mikan Tsumiki unwittingly became the first member of despair.

 _Ah, yes…I remember now…Back then, I had thought that I had met my guardian angel…But she turned out to be the complete opposite…But it might be to late for me now…_

* * *

When Mikan woke up again, she could sense several bodies around her. She opened her eyes to see her former classmates sleeping soundly around her coffin. Koizumi, Ibuki, and Sainoji were the closest to her. Her brow furrowed a bit at the mere sight of Sainoji. She hadn't quite forgiven the blonde for all of her bullying, and if she was being completely honest, she didn't regret killing her in the virtual world.

She wasn't quite sure what time it was, but she assumed that it was probably late at night. The doors opened and the short brunet from earlier came into view. He came in carrying a pile of blankets, with two more suited figures following him.

The girl noticed her and stopped in her tracks.

"She's awake."

The brunet peeked over the many blankets he was carrying and flashed her a smile. "Good morning! Ah, or should I say good evening? How are you feeling?"

"Like I just killed two people."

"O-oh…That's…Um…"

The purple haired girl moved forward and began laying the blankets on her classmates. The other two boys soon followed suit. The brunet suddenly stopped in front of four smaller figures…The children from earlier. He smiled warmly at them and lay a blanket carefully over their bodies.

"I was worried about how they'd get along with our senpai, but it looks like I had nothing to worry about." The boy looked up and Mikan followed his line of vision. Sleeping next to the kids…was Kamakura.

The suited girl stooped down next to the brunet and laid a blanket over Kamakura.

"They have similar pasts…Everyone in this room…They've all fallen victim to her despair."

Despair? Ah, they must be talking about Enoshima.

One of the kids, a blue haired boy, shifted before jolting awake.

"Mako-nii!"

The older boy put a finger to his mouth in a shushing gesture.

"What is it, Nagisa?"

The boy nodded and lowered his voice. "Everyone was worried about their friend that woke up…They said that they wanted to be with her when she woke up again so that she wouldn't feel lonely and then Kotoko suggested that we all have a sleepover and it seemed fun so I…"

The older boy…Mako? He merely chuckled and ruffled Nagisa's hair.

"That sounds like fun!"

Nagisa smiled, blushing slightly. "Yes…It was…"

Mako turned to finally look at her. "My name is Makoto Naegi. It's nice to meet you."

His other two companions joined him.

"I am Kyouko Kirigri."

"Byakuya Togami."

"I'm Nagisa Shingetsu. It's nice to meet you."

Mikan felt herself nod. Did they expect her to introduce herself too?

"…Mikan Tsumiki."

Kamukura jolted awake just then, brow furrowed and breathing heavily. It looked as though he'd awakened from a nightmare. Mak- Naegi was at his side in an instant, calming him down and helping him through breathing exercises. It looked as though they'd done this before. The kids sleeping next to him woke up to the commotion. Upon seeing the state he was in, they all instantly wrapped their hands around his, offering support until he calmed down. After Kamakura's breathing returned to normal, he thanked Naegi and the kids.

He finally turned to face her, and his smile broke into a bright grin.

"Tsumiki! You're awake! Oh." He paused and looked her up and down before letting out another smiled. "I like your haircut. It suits you."

It was then that Mikan remembered. After Junko Enoshima's death, she had become depressed. So much so that simply looking at the mirror, looking at the clothes, hair, and make up Enoshima had chosen for her, brought her down to a sobbing mess. Instead of bright, flashy clothes with too short skirts, she now wore the kind of nurse uniform a suburban mom in American TV shows would wear. Her hair was cut shorter, albeit more now more even, reaching up to her shoulders.

No one praised her for this more conservative look, but people feared her all the same. And more importantly, she could look at her reflection again without having a mental breakdown.

But hearing what Kamakura - no, what Hinata had said….It was the first time anyone had praised her for something she'd chosen to do herself.

The tears fell before she realized it. She probably looked hideous. Like a pig. But she smiled anyway as she said; "Thank you, Hinata-kun."

* * *

 **Omake:**

Kyouko Kirigiri and Byakuya Togami looked up at the monitor, observing the 77th class.

"A lot of them remind me of our previous classmates…It's quite nostalgic." Kyouko observed.

Togami nodded. "Yes, it is. But their class's SHSL Good Luck."

"You noticed as well?"

"How could I not? The way they dress. Their hairstyle. Even their voices sound identical."

"Yes. But even so-"

The door opened as Naegi rushed in, arms full of refreshments.

"I'm back! I thought you guys might be getting hungry, so I got some snacks from the kitchen."

At that moment, Kyouko and Togami had the same thought.

 _Our SHSL Good Luck is way cuter._

* * *

*Hiyoko are chick-shaped biscuits with filling insides with bean paste filling.

*Waves at chapter as I chug down a glass of milk because I still can't stand the taste of coffee* Heeeere it is.

If you want to discuss with me/scream with me/ask about headcanons about this or any other randoms I'm in, feel free to hit me up on my tumblr. My username is jheyjette.


	11. Guilt

**Chapter 11: Guilt**

Koizumi awoke to the sounds of Tsumiki's sobs. She immediately sat up, waking Hiyoko and Mioda with her sudden movements.

"Koizumi-onee, what-"

HIyoko cut herself off upon realizing what had gotten the attention of her red headed friend. She shrunk a bit further back, recalling the events that occurred in the game. Her relentless bullying. All the name calling. The slurs. Her death.

Her last thoughts realizing she had gotten what she deserved.

She turned to gauge Mioda's reaction, expecting the musician to be equally shaken at the presence of her murderer. The musician's expression shifted from confusion to surprise to elation in less than a second.

"Mikan-chan, you're awake!"

Mioda rushed over to Tsumiki's side, as if the nurse never manipulated her into hanging herself. She giggled excitedly as she chatted amicably with her. The rest of their class soon stirred awake, and were just as welcoming in their greetings to their newly awakened friend.

Koizumi rest a hand on Hiyoko's shoulder, frowning in concern.

"Hiyoko-chan, are you okay?"

Hiyoko nodded, forcing a smile on her face.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? But now that you mention it, I definitely feel like using the ladies' room."

Hiyoko stood up and quickly rushed out of the room before Koizumi could say anything else.

Once outside, Hiyoko leaned against the wall and took several deep breaths. It's unfair, she knows. She'd been the one giving Tsumiki the most trouble. She knew about Tsumiki's past. She knew that her self-esteem was the size of an ant. She knew she'd been severely bullied since early childhood. She knew all this and yet she still took pleasure in watching her cry and squirm uncomfortably. Honestly, she's surprised Tsumiki didn't try to kill her sooner. That she had to be under the effects of an illness, no, a _computer virus_ , to murder her. That she wasn't even initially planning on killing her, even with her mind in such a state.

Hiyoko slid down, hugging her knees to her chest. She's not sure how long she sat there until she heard the door open. It was probably Hinata or Naegi, worried that she'd been gone for a while. But maybe their comforting words were just what she needed right now.

"What are doing you here?"

That wasn't Naegi's voice. Or Hinata's. It was Togami's. The real one. The unapproachable one.

She should have hid in the bathroom.

* * *

Byakuya paused. In a situation like this, what would Naegi do? He'd probably say something comforting and inspiring. Maybe even give a hug.

It was Koizumi who'd noticed how long Sainoji was gone. Naegi being Naegi offered to go after her. But then Tsumiki had another relapse, the brats refused to let go of him, and Kirigiri literally pushed him out the door.

Sainoji looked up at him, unimpressed. "I thought it would be Hinata-onii or Hero-chan, but it's just you." She sighed and turned her head away. "Even that detective would have been better."

Now that struck a nerve.

Byakuya swallowed his pride (he'd been doing that a lot since he became friends with Naegi) and approached Sainoji. He leaned his back against the wall but remained standing. There was no way he was letting his suit pants touch the floor.

"You're not a very pleasant person. You used your childlike physique to get away with saying rude, abysmal things. You're a bully and egotistical to boot. You're tactless, bratty, and -"

"You're _real_ good at this."

"Let me finish. You're bratty and selfish. Just like I was. But I was much worse. During the School Life of Mutual Killing, I viewed the Killing Game as an actual _game_ , I tampered with the crime scenes, including one of my classmate's corpse, and I nearly caused Naegi's death."

"Wow. You _are_ worse than me."

Byaukya let out a dry chuckle. "Yes, well. Despite all your faults, you never attempted to murder anyone, nor did you ever sabotage any of the class trials."

"Yeah. I have _standards._ "

Byakuya could feel a vein pulsating but decided to press on regardless. "And yet despite all this, I was still forgiven."

"Yeah, but Naegi's a saint! Of course he'd forgive you! And in case you're forgetting, _I'm_ the victim here!"

"Yes, you are. So why do you feel more guilty than Tsumiki?"

"Well…I…"

"I assure you I didn't take Naegi's forgiveness for granted. I know I may not be as approachable as him or even Kirigiri, but I'm…trying. To be better. To make up for my past mistakes. That's why you're still alive. Because Naegi and Kiri- because _we -_ believed that you and your classmates deserved to have a chance to make up for your past mistakes."

Sainoji turned to look up at the progeny for the first time.

"Do you really think Tsumiki can forgive me?"

"I can't say for sure, but it's always worth a try."

Sainoji smiled. "You really suck at this."

* * *

The next time Mikan awoke, the group around her was much smaller. But with the loudest member of her class in the room, it was no less quiet.

Upon noticing her, Mioda immediately stood up and began talking animatedly. "Oh, Mikan-chan! How you feeling? Have your murderous urges flown away?"

"Mioda!" Hinata yelled, pulling the musician back down. "She just had an episode, don't overwhelm her."

Mioda put her hands on her cheeks, eyes wide in surprise. "Oh my gosh! Mikan-chan has her own show?!"

Hinata let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Koizumi, help me out here will you?"

Koizumi giggled from behind her hand as she shook her head. "Nope! You should know how to handle Ibuki-chan by now."

"Since when am I her caretaker?!"

As their light hearted banter continued, Mikan could't help but smile at the sight. It all felt so warm and welcoming, as if those days spent consumed by despair were light years away.

"It's good to see you all getting along."

Mikan's eyes widened as she searched for the source of the voice. Her three friends instantly got quiet.

"Nanami-san?"

"Hello, Tsumiki-san. It's been a while."

"Ah, yes. You're the one from virtual world."

Nanami's brow furroed a bit as she formed a response. "Yes…Does that bother you?"

MIkan shook her head. Even if this Nanami is a program, she still showed her genuine kindness. Just like the real Nanami. "No…I'm glad to see you."

Nanami beamed. "I'm glad to see you too. I'll let Naegi know you're awake so that he can take care of your bonds."

And with a brief flicker, she disappeared. The nurse turned to look back at her classmates. The warm atmosphere was all but gone. Mioda and Koizumi's eyes were fixated on Hinata, who looked at Mikan with imploring eyes. He had questions, she could tell immediately…but he was hesitant.

"What is it, Hinata-kun?"

"Um…Tsumki, do you…Do you remember Nanami? The real one?"

"Yes. Why do you-" And then it clicked. The rest of them may have not completely regained their memories yet, especially since most of them didn't even remember their identities as remnants of despair until they exited the game. Which means Hinata…

"Do you want to know how she died?"

The reserve course student gulped, clenched his fist, and slowly nodded.

* * *

Yukizome buried her face in her hands, shoulders hunched, as she sobbed quietly at her desk. Standing next to her, Chiaki laid a hand on her back, stroking it in comfort.

It was just the two of them in the classroom. Until yesterday, Nidai was still with them, but now even the normally beaming manager looked as though his soul had been sucked out of him, skipping class like the rest of Chiaki's wayward classmates.

"What happened to them? They all used to be so bright…So full of hope. How? How could this have- Is it because I'm a bad teacher?"

Chiaki frowned, feeling tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. She had to be strong.

"I don't think it's Sensei's fault. No. I _know_ it's not Sensei's fault. And I'll do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this. You all chose me to be the class representative, after all."

Yukizome sniffed before offering up a tearful smile. "Thank you Nanami-san."

She let out a soft laugh. "What am I doing, crying in front of my brave student like this?" She got up, rubbed her tears away, and clenched her fists. "Alright! I'll do some investigating too! Nanami-san," Yukizome's face turned worried as she gazed at her student, "There's no point in holding classes, not right now, so just…" She smiled, knowing she wass probably asking for the impossible, "Try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

Chiaki nodded, glad to see her teacher recover. After they parted ways, Chiaki made a beeline for the water fountain. It had been weeks since she last saw Hinata, but maybe this time…

It was empty.

She felt her shoulders slump and her stomach lurch. She had really wanted to see him, now more than ever. Where had he gone? She didn't want to think he had any connections to all the despairing events that had happened recently. She didn't want to think that something bad had happened to him. Everything was going so well, so why-

"Nanami-senpai?"

Chiaki turned around to find Fujisaki staring at her with concern.

"Fujisaki-san."

The programmer approached her, slow and careful. "Is everything alright?"

Chiaki smiled sadly. "I really wish I could say yes."

Fujisaki's expression became determined as he made his way to the fountain. He sat down and patted the seat next to him. Chiaki, surprised at her friend's change in demeanor, quietly obeyed.

"Nanami-senpai, you've listened to me. To all of my worries and concerns, and never once did you turn away from me. Never once did you ever judge me, even after you found out about…" He shook his head, face expression shifting to one filled with determination. "So this time, I want to be there for you. Please, if there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to let me know."

Chiaki felt herself relax for the first time in what felt like years. "Thank you, Fujisaki-san."

* * *

"…I see. That's…That's very concerning."

Chiaki nodded, eyes sullen.

"But I think I know someone that can help."

Chiaki's ears perked up. "Really?!"

Fujisaki nodded. "Do you know Kyouko Kirigiri?"

"The headmaster's daughter? Ah, Isn't she the Super High School Level Detective?"

"That's right. She's one of my classmates. If you'd like, I could arrange for the two of you to meet tomorrow."

Chiaki took Fujisaki's hands in hers, shaking them gratefully. "Thank you so much, Fujisaki-san! It didn't even cross my mind to ask for a detective's help!"

Fujisaki smiled back. "I'm just glad I could be of help."

"Oi, Fujisaki, there you are!"

"Fujisaki-kun, we were starting to worry."

"Ah, Oowada-kun, Ishimaru-kun, I'm so sorry!"

Chiaki chuckled. "Friends of yours?"

"Yes. I promised I'd walk back to the dorms with them."

"Then you'd better get going. Thanks again."

"It's no trouble. I'll see you tomorrow!"

They waved good-bye, and Chiaki felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was finally making progress.

* * *

Chiaki stood outside of Fujisaki's classroom, hands wrung together in nervousness. After what felt like hours, but was probably just minutes, Fujisaki popped his head out.

"She's out here." He said, leading Kirigiri out.

"Nanami-senpai, this is Kirigiri."

"Fujisaki brought me up to speed. Let's talk in my dorm room." She wasted no time as she walked ahead, not even turning to check if the gamer was following. The older girl waved a quick good-bye to her underclassman before running to catch up with the detective.

"Since when does our stiff detective princess hang out with someone other than her assistants?"

Chiaki turned her head back slightly to find the source of the comment and noticed a tall, pigtailed girl. She looked familiar…Where had she seen her before?

She's too far away to hear Fujisaki's soft response, but is able to hear the indignant yell of a male responding "I am _not_ one of her assistants!" followed by the yelp of a nervous boy, shouting out "Togami-kun, please calm down!"

Chiaki faced forward again, willing tears away. Her class used to be as lively as their's, it hurt to think that they couldn't go back to those days. But that was why she was following Kirigiri. To bring those days back. Her gaze sharpened as she faced forward.

They continued to walk in silence until they finally reached Kirigiri's room. The younger teen let herself in and took a seat at her desk. Chiaki took in her surroundings. The room was quite bare. There were a few hard to read books here and there, but otherwise, nothing of note to reveal its occupant's interests or hobbies.

"Aren't you coming in?"

"Ah, yes. Sorry!"

Chiaki closed the door behind her and took a seat on Kirigiri's bed. Without any preamble, Kirigiri began the discussion.

"Which of your classmates was the first to exhibit a change in behavior?"

"Tsumiki-san."

"The nurse…" Kirigiri cups her chin with her fingers looking pensive.

"Um, Kirigiri-san-"

"When did you notice the change?"

"Um…Kuzuryuu-kun? Pekoyama-san? No, both of them. They both changed at the same time."

"Do you remember when exactly the change occurred?"

"I remember it happened just a few days after Kuzuryuu-kun's sister died. That's probably why most of us didn't really notice the change in behavior immediately. But then I started to notice that Kuzuryuu-kun was showing up to class less and less. Despite his talent, he was actually the type of person to show up early to class. He took his studies seriously…"

Kirigiri was silent for a while after that, She closed her eyes, looking deep in thought. Before Chiaki could ask if the questioning was over, the detective suddenly blinked her eyes open.

"I think I'm starting to piece it together."

"Really?!"

The younger girl nodded. "Yes. I'd actually been investigating a case for a while, and I think whatever's going on with your class might be tied to it. But in order to investigate it further, I'll need your help. Can I count on you?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Good. Then I'll need you to act as bait."

"…Huh?"

* * *

Chiaki stood outside of her classroom after school trying her best to look miserable. It wasn't too difficult given her current circumstances.

"Wow, you look awful."

The gamer turned to look up. Her eyes widened. She recognized this girl. The girl in Kirigiri's class. This girl -

The memories began to flash back. Tsumiki raving about an outstanding underclassman. Sonia staring fondly at a magazine with a special feature on a young model. Tanaka proclaiming his plans to name one of his pet bears after-

"Hey, I'm talking to you here. Rude much?"

"Ah, s-sorry."

The other girl shrugged, lips pulling up into a teasing smile. "Eh, it's fine. But I wasn't kidding about you looking awful."

"Oh…um…A lot's just been happening…and stuff."

The taller girl nodded. "Oh, I know what you mean. I bet there's a little love trouble mixed in too, huh?"

Chiaki paused, eyes becoming unfocused as she felt the events from the past few weeks finally begin to weigh down on her shoulders. She tried to cover her face, trying to stop the onslaught of tears with her sleeves. She felt a hand grab her arm. She looked up to meet the model's face, expression filled with genuine concern that invited her to seek comfort.

 _Ah_ , she thought, _this was how she tricked them._

Enoshima let go of her arm and turned to look away as she reached into her pocket. Chiaki froze, worried about the taller girl's next move. Instead of attacking her, however, the model simply handed her a handkerchief. Dumbfounded, Chiaki accepted it gratefully and began to gently dab her eyes. But she wasn't going to let her guard down, not yet.

"Hey, so did you hear about the new student?"

Chiaki looked up, curiosity getting the better of her.

Enoshima smirked. "Oh, interested are you? Well, I don't blame you. There's a lot of mystery surrounding him. I hear he's going to be this school's Super High School Level Hope."

"Hope?"

"Yeah, I know, right? How can that even _be_ a talent? But then…I met him, and I realized why the school gave him that title. Do you wanna know why?"

Without even realizing it, the gamer nodded her head.

"Okay, I'll tell you. But only if you take that recording device off."

Chiaki instinctively jumped back.

"Oh, come on, senpai, don't be like that. You're not really gonna believe that stoic Daddy's girl over lil 'ol me, are you?"

Enoshima inched closer,and every time she did so, Chiaki took a step back. Enoshima's presence was so overwhelming - so _overpowering._ If this kept up-

"Waaah!"

"Naegi-kun!"

Suddenly, Chiaki was on the floor as flyers scattered all around her. She picked herself up and turned to see who her unwitting savior was. A boy with brown hair, green eyes, and a familiar hair antenna…It wasn't Hinata, but she recognized him. She'd seen him conversing with Komaeda before. She couldn't help but feel like the younger boy's talent was currently working in her favor.

"Naegi-kun, are you okay?!"

A girl with long blue hair helped the boy up. She'd seen her face plastered all around billboards and television screens before, the Super High School Level Idol, Sayaka Maizono.

"Woah! You okay there Naegi?" Enoshima asked, plastering on an innocent smile.

With the help of Maizono, the brunet stood up with an embarrassed smile. "Y-yeah." He turned to Chiaki and bowed.

"I'm so sorry for bumping into you!"

"Ah, no, I'm sorry as well." Chiaki returned the bow, discreetly letting out a sigh of relief. _If anything, I should be thanking you right now._

"Do you need to go to the clinic?" Maizono asked as she bent down to pick up the flyers. Upon closer inspection, Chiaki noticed that they were advertising an upcoming concert.

"Actually…I think I might. I may have hit my head a little too hard." Naegi replied as he bent backdown to help Maizono.

"Oh no! Do you want me to accompany you?"

"N-no, it's fine! You still have to put all these flyers up."

"I can take him, if that's okay. This is partly my fault too." Chiaki was desperate for any excuse to get out of her current predicament. She only hoped that the brunet wasn't _too_ kind hearted as to turn down her offer.

"Really? Thank you so much.!" Naegi replied, bowing slightly again as he stood up.

No one else seemed to notice it, but for the briefest of seconds, Chiaki noticed Enoshima's expression turn into one of utter disgust before quickly returning to her carefree smile as Naegi turned to address her.

"Enoshima-san, I hate to ask this of you, but-"

"You want me to help Maizono, right? Yeah, yeah, of course I'll help."

"Are you sure?" Maizono asked as Enoshima moved to take the flyers off of aegis hands.

"Yeah, it's totes fine. Well, what are you two waiting for? Go on, shoo!" She let out a giggle, the very picture of an innocent high school girl. It sent shivers down Chiaki's spine. She stood transfixed until she felt something tug at her sleeve.

"Um, senpai?"

 _Ah, that's right_. She smiled at the younger boy and nodded in understanding as they began to walk down the hall.

* * *

When they arrived, the clinic was empty. Naegi's face grew serious as he locked the door and scoured around the room, closing the window blinds, checking under the bed, shelves, and cabinets. After he seemed satisfied with the investigation he walked back up to Chiaki, cheeks suddenly turning flush.

"Um…You might take this the wrong way. A-and I don't blame you if you do…B-but…" The younger teen took a deep breath. "Can you go inside the supply closet with me?"

"Huh?"

"Um…You see, Kirigiri-san told me about your plan and-"

Looking back now, Chiaki recalled often seeing Kirigiri walk to class with Naegi. It all made sense now. Perhaps luck didn't play such a big role in their encounter after all.

"Then if that's the case, sure."

"Huh?!"

"Kirigiri-san instructed you to do this, right? Don't worry Naegi-kun, I trust you."

She could tell that Kirigiri wasn't the type to open up to others so easily. She was like that herself up until she met Hinata and Yukizome. If Kirigiri could trust Naegi, Chiaki could too.

"O-oh." He smiled as the color of his face returned to normal. "Thank goodness."

Chiaki had played enough mystery games to understand the situation they were in. Kirigiri was being cautious, and rightfully so. The closet felt cramped, but there was enough space for both parties to not be uncomfortably close to each other.

"Do you still have the recording device with you?"

Chiaki nodded and proceeded to remove her hair clip and hand it to her underclassman.

"Good, now then, all that's left is-"

A loud bang resounded around the room. Both students stood stock still as they heard a set of foot steps approach. Eventually, it stopped in front of the supply closet. Naegi handed the hair clip back to the gamer just as the closet's door was ripped off of its hinges. Standing before them was a tall young man with piercing red eyes and dark black hair. He stared at them, showing no indication of speaking. Naegi was the first to make a move and launched himself at the mysterious assailant.

"Nanami-senpai, run!"

Without hesitation, Chiaki quickly made a beeline for the exit-

But she wasn't fast enough. In the blink of an eye, the intruder was in front of her. She turned back to see Naegi already lying on the floor, unconscious. Chiaki turned back, heart sinking once she realized how hopeless it would be to try to outrun him. She turned to look at him, and it was then that she finally noticed. His eyes…She recognized them.

"Hinata-kun?"

* * *

 **Omake**

"Nanami".

Chiaki turned. It was rare for Kamakura to start conversations on his own. She motioned for him to continue, smiling encouragingly.

"That time…How did you recognize me?"

"Ah, that…Well, there aren't a lot of people that have the prohibition sign on their pupils."

"…Oh."

* * *

A/N: I'm not dead yet and neither is this story.


	12. Support

**Chapter 12: Support**

Chiaki stood stock still, eyes locked with the shell of her former friend. The silence seemed to span for an eternity until it was finally broken by an eerily familiar voice.

"Oh, you stopped her! Thanks for keeping her busy, Kamakura-senpai!"

 _Kamakura?_

"Surprised?" Enoshima asked, drawing closer to the gamer. "This is the mysterious new student I was talking about!"

"H-huh? Hinata-kun is-?"

Enoshima shook her head. "No, no, no. He's Kamakura now. That nobody Hinata's long gone!"

 _Gone? No, it can't be…Unless_ …

Suddenly all of the fear Chiaki had felt dissipated. She turned to glare at the model. "Did you do this to him?"

Enoshima was quiet for a moment, expression unreadable. Chiaki braced herself for the twisted girl's response. Enoshima closed her eyes and then-

She laughed.

She clutched at her sides as tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. The older girl was stunned into silence once more, but was no longer surprised by such an inappropriate reaction. She had barely known the model, but she already knew that trying to understand her psyche would be a fruitless effort that not even the Super High School Level Therapist could undertake.

After she finally managed to compose herself, Enoshima addressed the other girl in between gasps for air. "Ha…No…Haha…It wash't me. It was this school!"

"What?!"

"Yeah, they totes did all the work for me. Oh, and your boyfriend willingly offered himself up to be turned into the perfection he is now! And honestly? I don't blame him. He's much better off now."

Chiaki clenched her fists. It was a new emotion, one she was familiar with but had never personally felt before, not even when she was playing the most frustrating levels in video games. She was furious.

"Hinata-kun wasn't a nobody! He was kind, smart, honest, and a great friend! I won't forgive you for talking about him that way!"

Enoshima opened her mouth to reply - until Hinata started to move. He stopped in front of Chiaki.

"Why are you mad?"

"Huh? Why?" It only took mere seconds for Chiaki to compose herself, and without her realizing it, the volume of her voice steadily grew louder as she spoke. "Because my best friend is being insulted! Because that girl-" She pointed an accusing finger at her underclassman- "doesn't understand just how great Hinata-kun is!"

Hinata's eyes widened, and for the briefest second, Chiaki thought she might get her friend back. Then everything went black.

* * *

Izuru grabbed hold of the gamer's body before it reached the ground. He turned his piercing gaze to the attacker.

Ikusaba drew back her hand and chose to ignore the older teen, turning an adoring gaze to her younger sister.

"Sorry for the wait, Junko-chan!"

"Yeah, you'd better be! How long were you going to stay camouflaged? Were you distracted by Naegi's unconscious body, or something?"

"Wh-what?! No, of course not!"

"Chill, Sis. You're at that age, so it's completely understandable. I mean, I get the urge to kill my boyfriend all the time! Actually, I might go through with that at some point. Eh, but that's a plan for another day."

Enoshima turned her attention back to Izuru, eyes narrowing as they settled upon the unconscious body he was cradling. Her dissatisfied expression soon turned joyous as if a wonderful idea had just presented itself.

"Hey! Why don't you bring that girl with us! Oh, she'll be so happy once she's reunited with her friends again! And after that joyous, tearful reunion- you'll finally feel it."

Junko drew closer to Izuru as she whispered in his ear.

" _Despair_."

* * *

Chiaki awoke to the sounds of excited chatter. _Familiar_ excited chatter. she quickly looked up, heart full of hope.

And they were all there.

Her classmates. Her _friends_. Upon noticing their class representative awaken, the group was quick to turn their attention to her.

"I'm so glad you're finally here, Nanami-san!" Sonia exclaimed, still as bright and sweet as ever.

"Of course she's here, she's our class rep, ain't she?" Owari replied with a smirk.

Chiaki felt like she could cry from joy and relief. At last…Everything would return to normal. She looked at them all as a smile started to pull at her lips.

Then it all came to an immediate halt.

Their eyes. There was something about their eyes. They were the complete opposite of Hinata. She could still see a piece of him in his eyes. But these eyes staring into hers…There was no familiarity. They were twisted, _insane_.

These weren't her classmates. Not anymore.

Something at the back of her mind told her to run, but as she attempted to stand up, she finally noticed the bonds that held her wrists and legs in place. She was trapped. She frantically looked around for a way out, anything, but trying to look past her classmates' twisted smiles was just _so hard_. She finally took the time to observe her surroundings. Other than the chairs her classmates were seated in, the large room was bare. There were no windows and there was only one door. Several questions swirled through the gamer's head as she tried to collect her bearings. _Was Kirigiri going to come save her? What happened to Naegi? Where was Hinata?_ _Where was Enoshima?_

"Well hello there, sleepyhead!"

Nanami turned to glare at the voice's direction. Enoshima sauntered into the room, smiling sweetly and waving both hands as her upperclassmen threw words of praise and affection in her direction. It was the most disturbing thing Nanami had been subjected to. Trailing behind her was a girl with short black hair and-

"Hinata-kun!"

Hinata turned his attention to her. Enoshima frowned upon noticing.

"Yep, as I thought. Must be the power of love or something….Blech, how cliche." She turned to address the 77th class.

"So, who's ready for the Ultimate Despair Game?!"

 _The what?_

Cheers echoed around the room as it transformed before Chiaki's eyes. It rumbled as each wall slowly peeled off, revealing what looked like an elaborate set for a game show. The rest of her classmates stood up from their seats and cheered. Enoshima took center stage with both the black haired girl and Kamakura shadowing her in silence. The model addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out tonight!"

Another loud cheer. The pigtailed girl smiled triumphantly as she drunk in the applause before putting her hands up in a silencing gesture.

"Okay, okay. Now, let's get this show started! Will our contestant please take center stage?"

Suddenly, the bonds confining Chiaki to the chair broke off. The gamer stood, nervously looking around her. She wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but if Enoshima had orchestrated it, she knew that the end result could be anything _but_ good.

"Will please come to center stage? The next time I ask, it won't be so polite." The younger girl's tone had a darker edge to it. The class rep quickly obeyed, inwardly cursing herself for allowing fear to control her actions so easily. Once she was finally at the center, Enoshima smiled and addressed the room again.

"Well then, let the games begin!"

The floor shook.

As one, all of her classmates moved aside as a partition of the floor beneath the gamer's feet was elevated. Once it stopped, she was face to face with a large television screen. On the screen was a bear. A black and white bear with one sinister, bright red eye. The bear giggled as it produced a gavel from out of nowhere.

"Let the games beg-"

It happened in a flash. She's not quite sure when it happened, but she was suddenly falling, held securely in Hinata's arms. She didn't have time to react, however, as the reserve course student made a mad dash out of the room as soon as they landed.

From where she stood, Enoshima smirked.

"Hmph, so we'll be going with the expert level then."

* * *

It was all too simple. Was this really the best that Super High School Level Despair could come up with? Izuru flawlessly dodged each trap thrown his way, all while keeping Nanami secure in his arms. He wasn't sure why he was going out of his way to save this girl, but something within him, something buried deep within his consciousness, screamed relentlessly to save the girl's life.

They finally reached an empty room. The room was bare save for desk with an open journal laid on top of it. Attached to the journal was a black pen. Izuru carefully laid Nanami down as he approached the table.

"This room must be a save point…I think."

"Like in video games."

"Yeah…This whole 'game show' has been like a video game. If my life wasn't on the line, I probably would have enjoyed it."

Izuru took the pen and offered it to Nanami. The gamer looked at it, tilting her head in confusion.

"Umm…"

"….."

"….."

"….."

"…Oh, you want me to do it?"

Izuru nodded. "You are the Super High School Level Gamer, after all."

Nanami smiled as she accepted the pen. "I guess you're right."

Izuru looked around the room as the other teen wrote on the journal. His eyes finally settled upon a door on the other side of the room. He approached it, expression calm and calculated. He knew what would be waiting for them on the other side. He looked through all the possibilities, but in every single scenario, Nanami would die. He couldn't let her leave the room, but staying confined within this "save room" would lead to the same outcome with its lack of food and resources.

"That must be the boss room."

Izuru nodded, keeping his face forward. There was no obvious change in his expression, but a voice inside of him was inwardly screaming.

"Are we going in?"

"This game cannot be won, even for someone with your skill. I've looked through all the possibilities, and in each one, you do not make it out alive."

Nanami's expression dropped. That was to be expected, he'd given her false hope by acting as her ally. He's still not quite sure why, but something about her felt familiar. And that voice…Was it that personality he thought he had lost? Was this girl so important that his old self might have a chance of resurfacing?

"We need to try."

"You _will_ die."

"But you said that was just a possibility right? Then that doesn't mean it's for certain. We need to pave our own road for our own future. That's what hope is."

"…Hope?"

Nanami smiled as she took hold of his hands.

"Yes, hope. I…I don't want to die. But I don't want to waste away here, either. I don't think anyone's going to come for us, so we're on our own. But that's fine, because I have you, Hinata-kun."

"Don't you think it's irresponsible to put all of your faith in someone else?"

"But I'm not putting all of my faith in you. We're sharing this burden together."

"…"

"Hinata-kun, I don't know what happened to you, but promise me, if we get out - no, _when_ we get out…Will you share all of your problems with me?"

For the first time, Izuru felt something other than boredom. Was this hope? Was this the emotion he was supposed to embody? If so, then perhaps hope may be more interesting than despair. Perhaps hope was where he should put his faith in. Still keeping on his stoic demeanor, Izuru simply nodded, but buried deep down, Hajime smiled.

Izuru turned to the door and gently took his hands from Nanami's grasp.

"Get behind me"; he instructed.

The gamer nodded and did as she was told.

Izuru cautiously opened the door and was met with darkness. Piercing through darkness were multiple sickeningly red eyes. A chorus of "Upupupu's" echoed throughout the room. It would be difficult to attack them all while protecting Nanami at the same time.

Then the lights came on. Enoshima was at the center of the room, seated on a throne while being served by Monokumas dressed in maid and butler uniforms. A normal person would have found the sight amusing if not for the situation they were in. Upon finally noticing them, the model let out a loud, exaggerated sigh.

"It's about time. Do you know how long you kept me waiting?"

She got off the chair and approached the two older teens. She clapped both hands until a Monokuma appeared, carrying a small white bottle atop a tray. Enoshima took the bottle and promptly shooed the robot away.

"Here, one of you should decide to take this."

Izuru took the bootle and examined it.

"What is it?" Nanami asked, peering from behind him.

Enoshima smiled. "It's poi-"

"Poison."

"Aw, _come on_ senpai!" The model pouted, crossing her arms like a child.

"Poison?!"

The pigtailed teen quickly recovered, flashing another sadistic smile. "That's right! That's your final boss. One of you has to drink it, and the other one gets to leave."

Nanami looked at her in horror. "We…have to decide which one of us _dies_?!"

"Yup! And you have thirty minutes. And if you go over time, I'll decide myself!"

"But why…Why are you doing this?!"

"For despair of course!" Enoshima's sadistic smile turned into one of pure joy, looking more like an innocent school girl and less like a psychopathic murderer. She produced a button from seemingly out of nowhere as a television screen lowered. On the screen were the students of the 77th class. They all wore twisted smiles, eyes filled with swirls.

They all spoke at once, wishing good look to the two "contestants".

"Everyone…why?"

"Ugh, do I have to explain myself _again?_ For despair, duh. Geez, you're really slow on the uptake, aren't you?"

"Welp, I'll be waiting for your decision in that save room over there. And don't even think about trying to escape."

She turned to Izuru.

"I know you already figured out a way out, but there's no way you can bring your girlfriend with you. You're not the only one with Super High School Level Analysis* at your disposal."

Enoshima pressed the button again, shutting off the television screen.

"Don't want them distracting you. But don't worry, they'll still be watching safely from another room!"

The model smiled one last time before entering the save room, leaving the two older students behind alone with an army of Monokumas. They remained idle, all waiting patiently for the pair to make their decision. Izuru could take them all out without breaking a sweat, but knowing Enoshima, she had concocted a way to amass hordes of them, which meant that the attack would be relentless. Izuru was sure that he'd be fine, no matter how many days the battle would last, but he knew Nanami wouldn't be able to hold out for that long.

Izuru stared at the bottle. No matter how powerful he was, no matter how much talent he had amassed, he knew that this poison would kill him instantly. He closed his eyes. In every single possibility he foresaw, Nanami would selflessly offer to take the poison.

 _I don't want to die._

But he couldn't let Nanami die. He'd gotten her this far and-

 _I finally got talent. I've finally been accepted as a student to the school I've always admired. How could I just throw it all away and-_

But Nanami was important too. He couldn't forsake her like this. He couldn't abandon the hope she placed in him. He couldn't -

 _No! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to -_

"Hinata-kun, I'll take it."

Izuru turned to look at her. The gamer wore a sad smile as she gently took the bottle from his hands.

 _He didn't even try to stop her._

"I don't want you to die…Not when you're like this."

"But what about you? Do you not fear death?"

Tears began to well up Nanami's eyes. But despite the tears, she still wore a smile. A sad, sombre smile.

 _He didn't wipe her tears._

"If I'm being completely honest, I don't want to die either. But I understand that Enoshima isn't normal and…I'm not strong enough to fight her."

 _He didn't dispute her._

"So please, Hinata-kun. Don't give up hope. No matter what."

She clutched the bottle closed to her chest and closed her eyes.

"You know, all those time we played games together? They're some of the memories I treasure the most. So when you disappeared, I was really sad. But I was even more mad at myself for not noticing anything sooner. For not doing more to help you."

 _It's not your fault._ But he remained silent.

"I'm sorry for being selfish…And I'm sorry for choosing to say this now, but I may never have the chance again, so HInata-kun, I just want you to know-"

 _No, don't say it. Please._

"I love you."

She downed the poison.

 _He killed her._

It was instant. Once again, he caught her body before it hit the floor. But this time, the body was lifeless.

The door opened as Enoshima entered the room, giggling excitedly.

"I knew she would be too much of a goody goody to let you take that poison! Oh, you should have seen her classmates' despair-filled faces! They were having the time of their lives!"

She layer a hand on the dark haired teen's shoulder.

"So, what do you feel, senpai?"

"…Despair."

"And what do you think about it?"

"…It's not boring."

"See! I told you!"

 _He killed her. And he didn't regret it at all._

"Hm, senpai? Is it just me, or are your eyes different. Didn't they used to have that weird symbol on it?"

 _So he finally left._

"No, this is how it should be."

* * *

Hajime was silent.

"I…I really _did_ kill her."

"No, you didn't!" Koizumi argued, _"Enoshima_ did." She spoke the name with utter contempt, glaring at the floor as if she were glaring at her former underclassman.

"Yeah, she's right Hajime-chan! It sounds to me that you really did want to save Chiaki-chan, it's just that you were already turned into despair at that point!"

"But…But I wasn't."

"What are you talking about?! 'Course you were. 'Coz you only became part of Despair after you became Izuru-chan, right?"

Tsumiki sighed sadly as she spoke. "No, he's right. Before Nanami-san's death, Hina- no, Kamkura-kun had full control of his actions…It's just that Kamakura's personality is completely different from Hinata-kun's…So I don't think you're to blame either."

Hajime smiled at the girls. "Thanks. All of you. It means a lot…That you all have so much faith in me."

 _But he didn't deserve it._

"Of course!" Mioda exclaimed, smile full of sunshine. "You're our friend, after all! Hey, now that Mikan-chan's sort of normal now, why don't we-"

Mioda's words were cut off by the door opening. Sainoji peered hesitantly into the room. Hajime could instantly feel the mood dampen, but two of his classmates either didn't notice (Mioda) or chose to ignore it (Koizumi).

"Hiyoko-chan! You finally came to visit!"

"Uh…yeah."

Hajime stood up to leave.

"Huh? Hinata-kun, are you leaving already?" Koizumi asked, brow furrowed in concern.

"Yeah…I need to sort through my thoughts. Besides…" He turned to look at Tsumiki.

The nurse was glaring really hard.

"I think this is a matter best discussed between you girls. I might just end up getting the way."

"Y-yeah. You might have a point there."

As he passed by the dancer, the former reserve course student whispered an encouraging "Good luck". The blonde mumbled a whispered "Thanks" in

* * *

Luck, huh? Maybe Hiyoko should have shook hands with Naegi or something before coming in. Maybe even Komaeda…Wait, was she _that_ desperate? She tentatively looked at Tsumiki. She was still glaring. _Hard_.

Yeah, she was.

"U-um, hey Tsumiki."

Silence.

Koizumi nervously let out a laugh as she motioned Hiyoko to come closer. "It's great to have you finally join us, Hiyoko-chan! Maybe we can all make plans together for another all-girls baking session?"

HIyoko hesitantly moved closer, trying her best to ignore Tsumiki's intense gaze as she followed the dancer's every move. She stopped at a respectable distance from the nurse and sat down seiza* style.

That awkward silence persisted as Hiyoko struggled to find the right words to say. She really should have practiced before deciding to enter the room. What should she start with. _Hey, I know I was a jerk to you and I totally don't blame you for killing me_ or _Hey, sorry I kept bullying you and calling you a whore even though you clearly aren't_. Ugh, she was getting nowhere! She just had to wing it!

"Tsumiki, I-"

"I'm not going to apologize for killing you."

"H-huh? Oh, yeah, that's fine. I didn't expect you too."

"U-um, can Ibuki go? Ibuki doesn't deal well with these kinds of intense confrontations and-"

Koizumi quickly shushed the musician as she gently motioned the blonde to continue.

"I know it probably won't mean much to you now…But I wanted to apologize for all the bullying and name calling. I don't know why I chose you in particular, maybe it's because you didn't try to fight back, or maybe I was trying to project the anger I felt with my own personal issues out on you. Either way, you didn't deserve it, so!"

Hiyoko bowed her head to the floor, startling everyone.

"I'm really sorry!"

"I'm sorry too!" Koizumi exclaimed, "I'm sorry for not trying to do anything to correct Hiyoko-chan's behavior. I know the way she treated you was wrong, but a part of me kept trying to justify the way Hiyoko-chan acts. But that wasn't right. I should have said something sooner!"

Koizumi stood up and kneeled next to Hiyoko and proceeded to bow her head down as well. "I'm very sorry!"

"I-Ibuki is sorry too! Ibuki should have also interfered whenever Hiyoko-chan said mean things to Mikan-chan!"

Ibuki joined the other two girls and proceeded to bow her head to the floor as well.

Tsumiki remained the silent. Eventually, she let out a tired sigh.

"All of you, raise your heads."

The girls did as they were told, anxiously waiting for the nurse's response.

"Koizumi-san, Mioda-san, I forgive you."

The two aforementioned girls smiled with relief before they realized that a certain blonde had been left out.

"But what about Hiyoko-chan?" Koizumi asked.

Tsumiki looked away. "I…I wasn't to forgive her. I can tell that she's really sorry for what she did…But a part of me, the Despair that still lingers there…I don't think I'm ready yet. But-"

The nurse turned to look at her former tormenter, eyes no longer burning with hatred. "I know that I _can_ forgive you. I just…need a bit more time. Sainoji-san, if it's not too much trouble, do you think you could wait until then?"

Hiyoko smiled. "Yes, of course, however long it takes."

* * *

Hajime sat on his bed alone in his room. He knew that sitting alone with his self-destructive thoughts would only serve to further dampen his mood, but he just couldn't bring himself to socialize with the others after remembering how Nanami had— the _real_ Nanami — had died. How could he even face her AI now, knowing what he did to the real one?

He flopped down, curling himself into a ball. He felt tears sting his eyes as that memory continued to assault his consciousness. He was ready to just cry himself to sleep until he heard a knock on the door. Without moving from his position, he yelled; "Not now, Naegi."

"It isn't Mako-nii. It's Nagisa."

Hajime stood up, curiosity piqued as he moved across the room to let the younger boy in.

Nagisa looked up at him nervously. It didn't look like Naegi or his friends at put him up to this. Hajime moved aside to let the grade schooler in. The blue haired boy obliged and took a seat at the edge of Hajime's bed. The brunet joined shortly after, motioning for his guest to state his order of business.

"U-um, I heard from Mako-nii about what happened."

"Wait, Naegi knows already? _How?_ "

"I think Alter Ego told him. He monitors the place, so…"

Ah, right. They may be recovering now, but the fact that most of the occupants in the building were former Remnants of Despair still remained. That said, Hajime would take having Alter Ego monitor him and his friends over Monokuma any day.

"I see…Was there something you wanted to ask."

Nagisa took a deep breath.

"I killed my parents."

….What.

"Like…Murdered? Or like, in a metaphorical sense?"

"The first one."

"Oh. Um…I'm sorry?"

Nagisa shook his head. "I didn't come hear to seek your pity, I came here because…I think I might understand what you're going through. You blame yourself for your friend's death, right?"

Hajime looked away, ashamed.

"When I killed my parents, I tried to justify it. You see, my parents both worked for Hope's Peak Academy, so they had very high expectations of me, and in order to meet those expectations, they…they did horrible things to me. And not just me, Kotoko, Masaru, and Jataro's parents all abused them so badly, we became vulnerable to despair. We became convinced that all adults are evil, and we used that reasoning to justify our murders. But while we all still believe that our parents weren't the best people…We now realize that even _they_ didn't deserve death."

Hajime watched in silent awe as he continued to listen to Nagisa's story. He found it harder and harder to believe that all this was coming from the mouth of a grade schooler, but he could tell that Nagisa wasn't making any of this up. And it pained Hajime, knowing that Enoshima's influence managed to reach even children this young. Nagisa continued to speak.

"I've killed many more adults. Most of them were probably innocent, but at that point, I was so convinced that every single adult was as abusive as my own parents…I was pompous and arrogant, thinking that I had the right to judge those people. For all intents and purposes, I don't deserve to be running free right now. I don't deserve forgiveness…And yet Onee-chan and Mako-nii still welcomed me with open arms."

Nagisa turned to face Hajime.

"You, me, our friends, we've all done unforgivable things and we can regret them all we want , but if we don't even _try_ to atone for what we did, then we'll be disrespecting the lives we took even more."

The former reserve course student felt his breath catch.

"I know it takes time to get over…things like this, so none of use expect you to bounce back right away. But please, for your own sake, don't just waste away your time feeling sorry for yourself. That's the last thing your friend would have wanted."

Satisfied after saying his piece, Nagisa bounced off the bed and made his way to the door.

"Wait!"

Nagisa stopped and turned.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Hajime-nii."

* * *

 **Omake**

"Hey, Togs, I have a problem."

"Then go to Naegi."

"Nah, I don't wanna bother him."

"But you'll bother me?"

"Yeah! So anyway, the other day, I was thinking of - hey where are going?!"

"This was a mistake. I'm not ready for kids. _Go back to Naegi._ "

* * *

*For those that haven't had a chance to read Dangan Ronpa Zero, without spoiling anything, it's mentioned that Junko's "real" talent is Analysis.

* Seiza is when a person sits on the knees. It's considered to be the traditional way of sitting in Japan.

Happy Valentine's Day!


	13. Luck

**Chapter 13: Luck**

"Are you sure about this?" Makoto asked for the umpteenth time.

The former Warriors of Hope all nodded their heads solemnly as they stood outside the door that housed their former Servant. It loomed over them menacingly, making them recall terrible memories from their time in Towa City. But that was all behind them now. They were trying to move on, and this was their first big step.

Makoto sighed in resignation, knowing that nothing else he had to say would sway their decision.

"Alright, but just in case, Alter Ego will be monitoring you all. And if you need anything else, Kirigiri-san and I will be just outside, alright?"

"Yes, thank you, Mako-nii." Nagisa replied. He squared his shoulders and motioned his friends to follow him as he opened the door.

Komaeda stirred from the bed he was confined to. Upon noticing who his guests were, the older boy's expression turned sour.

"What are you lot doing here?"

Kotoko frowned. She opened her mouth, ready to argue, before Nagisa placed his hand on her shoulder in a placating gesture. The former child star stilled before begrudgingly backing down.

"Serv- er- Komaeda…san…We know we didn't treat you very well when you were under our employ, so we came to formally apologize."

"Oh. Is that all?"

Nagisa could feel Kotoko and Masaru bristle at his side.

"Ah, y-yes. So, um, everyone? Let's do it like we practiced."

In unison, with varying degrees of sincerity, the grade schoolers made their apology and bowed their heads.

"We're sorry for treating you like trash."

Silence.

"Well…Thanks, I guess."

"That's it?!" Masaru yelled.

"Masaru-kun!" Nagisa's commanding tone immediately calmed the other boy down, who settled for clenching his fists and glaring at the floor instead.

"Look, I appreciate that you kids went all this way to apologize, but I honestly don't care what you think of me. You may be Super Elementary School Level prodigies, but that doesn't change the fact that you all sided with Despair."

"Newsflash!" Kotoko yelled, taking a step forward, "You sided with Despair too!"

Komaeda's expression turned dark, prompting the pigtailed girl to take a step back.

"I know that. And that's why I'm doing all that I can to sever my ties with them. That's why I'd like to limit interacting with the likes of you as much as possible."

Nagisa sighed. "Alright then, I'll just cut to the chase. Where is Monaca-chan?"

Komaeda stiffened. "Why would you think I'd know that?"

"Don't try to play dumb. We confirmed it with Hajime-nii. You were the last person with her."

Komaeda remained silent, turning his head away with a frown.

"Is he pouting?" Kotoko asked, crossing her arms. "What a kid."

Masaru came forward. "How do you expect to cut ties with Despair when you're covering for one right now?!"

The luckster turned to look at the children again. "And what do you all plan to do once you find out where she is?"

"Tell Mako-nii, of course!" Masaru yelled.

"I have no doubt that Naegi-kun and his friends will be able to take care of Monaca, but that doesn't answer my question. I'm asking what you four would do."

Jataro spoke up for the first time. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I can tell. You're all still attached to her, aren't you? Even after she betrayed you all, even after you all decided to side with Hope, you still think of Monaca as your friend. Am I right?"

Caught by surprise by the accusation, the children were stunned to silence. So much had happened since they were taken in by Komaru that they never really had the time to think about their lingering feelings for Monaca. True enough, after all they had been through, there was a time that they thought of the tyrannical little girl as their friend. If she were taken by the Future Foundation, who knows how she would be treated? They faltered, and that was exactly the opening Komaeda needed.

"You're still attached to her even after she betrayed you? That just goes to show that you children are still attached to that revolting Despair."

"You've got that wrong!"

Nagisa straightened his back. "We don't know what the Future Foundation will do to Monaca if they get their hands on her, but we know that she can't be allowed to continue to move freely. It's true, a part of me still doesn't trust adults…A part of me still wants to believe in Monaca…But I chose to follow Onee-chan and Mako-nii, so I can't turn back on them now!"

Komaeda's eyes widened.

"I see…So that's your answer. Very well then. I'll tell you."

"Wait, seriously?!" Masaru exclaimed in shock. "It was that easy—"

He was cut off by Kotoko elbowing him. She turned to him, whispering in a frustrated tone.

"Don't say anything to make him change his mind, idiot!"

Komaeda waited until the kids finally settled down before relaying the information he knew.

"She's with Yukizome-sensei. Don't worry, she may have been our teacher, but Enoshima never got a chance to corrupt her. After my class became members of Despair, Yukizome-sensei was almost always with either Munakata-san or Sakakura-san."

Nagisa frowned. "Wait, but then, if she's with Yukizome, doesn't that mean she's already with the Future Foundation?"

Komaeda shook his head. "It's probably best if I tell you all the whole story." 

* * *

It had been months since Chisa had last seen any of her students. She looked at Towa City's ruined streets. She'd seen many fallen cities like this since the Tragedy, but she could never bring herself to grow accustomed to it. She clutched the phone on her lap tightly. It had taken a lot to convince Kyosuke to let her come to the city without any of the other branch leaders accompanying her, but she just couldn't take the risk. After all, one of her former students might be here. She scanned the terrain carefully. Finally, she caught a glimpse of it.

A mop of white hair.

"Stop the car!"

Chisa quickly got off and made a beeline for the alley she'd seen her former student rush to. Her subordinates were quick to follow behind, weapons at the ready. She skidded to a halt upon noticing them.

"Stop! I told you I'd go alone, didn't I?"

"But ma'am—!"

"Komaeda-kun will be more willing to talk if I'm alone. If I walk in there with all of you, he might feel threatened and run away."

"But Yukizome-san!" One of them protested. The man next to her put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"Don't bother. Whenever Yukizome-san sets her mind on something, there's no way you can change her mind. With that said—"

He turned to address Chisa. "Be careful. Munakata-san will have our heads on a platter if anything happens to you."

Chisa smiled. "Thank you."

She turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could until she finally caught up to her former student.

"Komaeda-kun!"

Komaeda looked back, surprised. It was then that Chisa noticed the green-haired bundle being carried on his back. She recognized the girl. Monaca Towa, the mastermind behind the fall of Towa City.

"Ah, Sensei! It's been a while. You're not here to try to convince me to go through therapy again, are you?"

Chisa shook hear head, focusing her attention back on the luckster.

"I received reports that you were sighted here. I'm not going to force you to come with me again, but I was hoping we'd get the chance to talk? I'd really like to know how the you and your classmates have been doing."

The little girl tugged at Komaeda's sleeve impatiently, a pout forming at her lips. Komaeda looked down at her and smiled, which seemed to unnerve the girl more than reassure her. He turned back to Chisa and addressed her.

"Very well. I'll talk with you, but only under one condition."

"And that condition would be?"

"I want to you to hide this girl from the Future Foundation."

Chisa hesitated. To harbor a criminal like this, a member of Despair, not even Kyosuke might be able to find it in himself to forgive her if he found out. But this was her only chance. If she could just talk to Komaeda, she might be able to save her students. She steeled herself and put on the friendliest smile she could muster.

"Alright. It's a deal."

"What?!" Monaca yelled, pounding her fists on the older boy's back.. "No way! She's with the Future Foundation!"

Komaeda ignored her outburst. "So what would you like to talk about, Sensei?"

Getting straight to the point, huh? Chisa steeled herself mentally as she began her interrogation. "How are all of your classmates? Are they eating well?"

"Most of them aren't. The Imposter and Owari have lost a lot of weight."

"Oh…I see. That's unfortunate."

"It is…But that's what Despair does to people. Even after Makoto Naegi defeated Enoshima—"

"Harumph!"

"Please ignore her, she still hasn't gotten over her idol's death. Anyway, as I was saying, even after Enoshima's defeat, the rest of my talented classmates haven't given up on their duty to spread despair around the world. Monaca here is probably the best example of how far a Remnant of Despair will go, even without a Queen to give out orders."

From the rearview mirror, Chisa could see the little girl puff out her chest a little, smiling smugly.

"That's because I'm going to be Onee-chan's successor!"

"S-successor?"

"Ah, yes, don't worry, I'll get to that later. For now, do you have anymore questions? I don't mean to put pressure on you, but I don't have much time to spare."

"Um, yes. Speaking of Enoshima's death, how did your classmates react to that?"

"Pretty badly, especially Tsumiki-san. She was inconsolable for weeks."

Tsumiki was always such fragile flower, but to hear how badly she mourned for a human as rotten as Enoshima…Chisa wasn't surprised by it, but it still hurt to learn about it.

Komaeda spoke again. "Sensei, I think I only have time for one question, so please think wisely before you ask."

Chisa was caught off-guard. She had a limit to her questions?! She could hear Towa snicker from behind Komaeda. In hindsight, she should have seen this coming. Komaeda was always so very unpredictable. Well then, she had to make this question count.

"Komaeda-kun, what do you think of Naegi-kun?"

Komaeda's eyes lit up. "Oh, I adore him! He's the perfect embodiment of hope! A hero that triumphed over that wretched despair! He's—"

"I see. So you admire him. Then, would you like to meet him?"

Komaeda blinked. "Meet him?"

"Yes. Naegi will be coming by in a couple of hours to check on his sister. I told him about you, and he told me that he'd love to meet you."

Chisa ignored Towa's intense glare , focusing instead on her former student. Everything had gone according to Kirigiri's plan so far, which meant that—

"I'd love to!"

Chisa smiled. He would be the first remnant for now, she'd leave the rest to Naegi and his friends. But first….Where should she hide Towa?

* * *

The children all turned to look at each other, smiling triumphantly at finally gaining some important information that could help their new friends. But something didn't sit quite right with Nagisa. It sounded like Yukizome was an ally of Makoto's, but if that were the case, why didn't she tell them that Monaca was with her? Perhaps Kyouko might be able to figure it out. He turned to his friends.

"We should go. Komaeda-san, thank you for your help."

Komaeda smiled, and for the first time, it wasn't the unsettling kind.

"You kids really have changed."

He turned his head away and closed his eyes. The kids stared at each other, unsure what to make of the statement. Jataro spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Maybe we should just go for now. Mako-nii and Kyouko-nee are waiting for us outside."

The rest of the kids nodded in agreement and exited the room. Makoto and Kyouko jerked to attention upon noticing them. A look of relief came across the brunet's face as he approached them.

"Mako-nii, We did it!" Kotoko exclaimed as she rushed at him and hugged his torso.

"Hey, no fair!" Masaru yelled, making a lunge for the brunet as well.

Nagisa sighed, tired and exasperated. "You guys, is now really the time?"

Kyouko nodded. "He's right, Naegi-kun. You musn't indulge these children so much. The information they have uncovered may be of utmost importance."

Kotoko's grin turned sly as she addressed the detective. "Alright, then how about this. We tell you what we know, and you start calling Mako-nii by his first name."

Kirigiri returned the grin with a smug one of her own. "I already do. In private."

"Kirigiri-san!"

"W-what does that mean?" Jataro asked.

"Ooh! I know what it means!" Kotoko exclaimed with a smirk.

"A-ah, more importantly! How did your conversation with Komaeda-kun go?" Makoto asked, quickly steering the conversation away from the current topic. Nagisa decided to bail the poor older boy out by clearing his throat to get the others' attention.

"We learned that someone named Yukizome is giving Monaca shelter."

Kyouko didn't look the least bit surprised. "I see. So that's the deal she had to make with him…"

"Um, Kyouko-nee? Is she an ally of yours?"

Kyouko nodded. "Yes. She may have been class 77's homeroom teacher, but Enoshima never got the chance to get close enough to her to turn her into a member of Despair."

"I see…So then, you knew she's been with Monaca this whole time?"

Kyouko shook her head. "No, I did not. I did, however, know that she and made some kind of deal to convince Komaeda to meet with her. I assume that circumstances led her to the conclusion that she couldn't tell anyone outside of her branch about the specifics of that deal."

Nagisa frowned. "But her students are with all of you now. So then, why hasn't she told you yet?"

Kyouko nodded. "Yes, that part is concerning. I'll have the the others look into it. Naegi-kun."

"Yes?"

"I have a few calls to make. Will you escort the children to the cafeteria? I hear they're holding a party for Tsumiki-san." She smiled at the children then, and for some reason, that smile was enough to convince Nagisa to put his faith in Kyouko.

* * *

Mikan took in her surroundings. The other girls were chattering excitedly as they gave her a tour of the building they had all grown to call home.

"And that's the cafeteria! Since Teruteru-chan got offed so early in the game, we didn't get as many chances to try his food, but now we get to eat it everyday!" Mioda exclaimed excitedly, flailing her arms about like an excited child. Tsumiki couldn't help herself as she allowed a giggle to escape her lips. She quickly covered her mouth upon realizing it and turned to look at her classmates.

They all stared blankly before they all broke into fits of giggles as well.

"Mikan-chan, why'd you stop?! Your smile's so cute, you should do it more!" Mioda exclaimed, wrapping an arm around the nurse's shoulder.

"She's right!" Koizumi agreed, still smiling brightly. "You really should smile more often!"

Mikan felt her face flush. "I-I'll try!"

She looked up again, at all the smiling faces, even Sainoji was genuinely smiling.

"U-um-"

"What's this? Are you guys planning to raid the cafeteria without me?!"

The girls all turned in the direction of the new voice and were met by Owari's drooling face.

"Um, no." Sainoji responded, and was it just Mikan's imagination or did the dancer's snark sound like it had less bite to it?

"We're just showing Tsumiki around."

"Awww, that's all? Wait, Tsumiki?!" It was then that the gymnast seemed to finally notice her recently awakened classmate. "Oh, you're not spouting' nonsense anymore! I knew you had it in ya! Hey, do the others know yet?"

"Hajime-chan does, and Ibuki's pretty sure he at least told Makoto-chan and his girlfriend. So do Chiaki-chan and her big bro. We were gonna tell the rest once we were done with the tour!"

"Hm, okay. Then do you want me to let the others know for you?"

Huh? Owari was actually taking initiative for something? Not that Owari was a bad person by any means, she'd even defended her when she was on trial. But she wasn't exactly the type of person to jump on tasks such as this unless food or a sparring session with Nidai were involved.

"Oh, yeah. That'd be great, thanks Akane-chan!" Koizumi replied, as if this kind of behavior were the norm.

"No prob! I'll see you all in bit! Oh, and Tsumiki!"

"Y-yes?!"

"Take care of yourself! Everyone was really worried about you!"

"O-oh. Th-thank you!"

Owari grinned before sprinting off. One wouldn't have guessed that she was severely underweight mere weeks ago with the way she moved.

"Alrighty then! We only have a few more stops left! You ready, Mikan-chan?"

"Ah, y-yes!"

* * *

After they were finished with the tour, the girls circled back to the cafeteria. Once inside, she was greeted with cheers and the smell of a variety of different food. But what really caught Mikan's attention was the expression on all of her friends' faces. They somehow looked even brighter and livelier compared to before they had succumbed to Despair.

Was this the power of Hope?

"Huh? Where're Hero-chan and that detective chick? Yo, Togs, you got any idea?"

Togami stiffened. "For the last time, I told you to- Never mind. They're on standby outside Komadeda's room."

"What?! What're they doing there?!"

"The children were adamant on seeing him. They believe they may be able to help with his rehabilitation."

The others were silent. It seemed that one thing remained the same. Komaeda was still the main source of stress for their class. Mikan noted Hinata's absence as well, but no one seemed inclined to comment on it. But that was understandable given what he'd learned the day before The others probably just wanted to give him space.

"Hey, how long's the guest of honor gonna stand there! I'm hungry!" Owari yelled, already standing with a plate at the ready.

"U-um, right! Th-thank you everyone!"

She was met with hugs and more cheers. Amidst all this, despite everything that happened, Mikan finally allowed herself to feel happiness.

There was a knock at the door. Nagito turned to look, expecting to see one of the survivors from the 78th class. Instead, he was met with one Hajime Hinata. The other boy seemed anxious, and it didn't take long for Nagito to figure out why.

"I see Tsumiki's memories have carried over."

Hinata nodded solemnly. Nagito considered addressing him as Kamakura, but decided against it. The other boy had been his friend once, after all. The luckster watched the other boy's expression carefully as he addressed him.

"Hinata-kun."

The brunet looked up, surprised.

"Did you just call me—? Um, never mind. What is it?"

Nagito looked at him fully for the first time. Despite learning what he did, Hinata didn't look as depressed as he initially expected. He almost let a chuckle escape. Naegi and his friends had really done a splendid job in rehabilitating these former members of Despair.

"I told you, didn't I? That you killed Nanami-san."

Hinata's gaze turned to the floor as he nodded solemnly.

"Do you still think that?"

Hinata paused. He looked up. "Yes and no."

"I — What?" Nagito couldn't help the confusion that seeped into this tone. Later, he would chastise himself for allowing his emotions to be read so easily, but for now, curiosity got the better of him.

"I understood what you meant back then. About me killing Nanami. I may not have done it directly, but by allowing her to take that poison in my stead, I hold part of the blame for her death. But I know that constantly blaming myself isn't something she would have wanted. At the end of the day, the person who put us in that situation was Junko Enoshima."

Nagito stared. He'd expected Hinata to bounce back at some point, but not this soon. He looked away as he attempted to formulate a response.

"But Komaeda, that's not why I came in here."

Nagito turned to look at the other boy again, eying him carefully as he approached him.

"I came here because I want you to have dinner with us."

Nagito could feel laughter erupt before hie could stop it. It was the insane, familiar kind of laughter that rung through the many class trials that he and his classmates were subjected to. Hinata watched him with a blank, unreadable expression. After he finally calmed down, Hinata spoke again.

"Komaeda, I will carry you if I have to."

He could tell but the brunet's tone…He wasn't kidding. Oh boy.

* * *

All eyes were focused on them when they entered the cafeteria. Hajime could feel Komaeda shrink behind him, like a scared child accompanying an adult to a formal business meeting. Hajime looked at his friends, flashing them an awkward smile.

"H-hey everyone. I, uh, brought a friend."

Naegi, unsurprisingly, was the first to approach the pair.

"It's good to finally see you out of bed, Komaeada-senpai."

"Ah, um…Thank you, Naegi-kun."

Naegi smiled. "I'm sure you're hungry. Why don't you grab a plate and help yourself."

"U-um…If it's alright with everyone else."

Finally, as if a spell had been broken, life seemed to returned to the room as its occupants all began to chatter excitedly.

"Ibuki recommends the pork!"

"Just the pork?! Everything on the menu's good!"

"I thank you for the compliment, Owari-san. It is as she said, everything I have lovingly made has—"

"Hey, Peko, what would you recommend?"

"M-me? Um, well…The fish, I suppose."

Hajime smiled gratefully and turned to Komaeda. The luckster stared at all of the smiling faces in shock, not quite sure how to process his former classmates' welcoming.

"Is this really ok?" He asked, voice soft enough that only Hajime could hear him.

"We've all done terrible things, Komaeda. But we've been given a second chance. Someone very wise told me that we should use that chance to atone for our mistakes, not waste our time wallowing in self-pity."

Komaeda nodded. Hajime could feel his smile grow, satisfied that he was finally making progress with his friend.

The loud chatter and the warm mood was quickly silenced by a loud scream. 

_**"I HAVE TO SHIIII-**_ " 

Naegi, possibly as a result of having to talk over so many arguments during class trials, was somehow able to overpower the loud scream.

"He needs a sheet of paper! Several sheets of toilet paper!"

* * *

 **Omake:**

Kotoko sidled up to Makoto. "So, what kind of things do you and do in private?"

"Kotoko!" Nagisa yelled, scandalized.

Makoto's face turned beet red. He really didn't want to be having this conversation with a group of grade schoolers.

"Psssh, quit acting all high and mighty! Aren't you curious?"

"I know I am!" Masaru agreed. "Come on Mako-nii, spill!"

"Um, well…w-we…WE HOLD HANDS AND CUDDLE!"

Makoto really wished he had his hoodie to bury his face in. He felt a tug at his sleeve. He looked down. All of the kids were smiling at him and gestured for him to crouch down. Upon doing so, the kids proceeded to pat his head affectionately. 

* * *

I had meant to get this chapter done earlier, but I was hit with some major writer's block for the past few weeks. I lost track of how many times I rewrote this chapter... 


	14. Strength

**Chapter 14: Strength**

They all ran down the hall, anxious to see what state their former classmate was in.

"How is he awake already?" Hajime asked, "Is it another case like Komaeda's?"

"No, I don't think so", Naegi replied, "It's possible that in his case, it may be purely because, well, he had to, er-"

"He had to take a dump!" Masaru supplied.

"That actually sounds plausible given Nidai-kun's regular bowel movements." Tsumiki added.

Togami pocketed his cellphone. "I just got off the phone with Kirigiri. She's prepared the restroom for…Whatever it is Nidai plans to do with it."

"That's all well and good and all…" Komaeda began, looking unsure, "but won't he still be under Despair's influence when he wakes up?"

Togami scoffed. "Who do you think we are? Of course we've already prepared for that kind of scenario. Don't worry, our back-up should already be there when we arrive."

"Ah, sorry! I should never have doubted your abilities! As expected of—"

Hajime cut him off. "Komaeda, not now."

"Ah, right. Sorry, force of habit."

They all began to slow down once the familiar doors came into view. Hajime scanned the area until his eyes finally landed on a rapidly fast approaching figure. A girl with a ponytail that seemed to defy gravity yelled out to them with a bright, friendly grin.

"Sorry we're late!"

Naegi smiled. "Don't worry, you're just in time."

The girl finally stopped once she reached them and introduced herself.

"Hi there! I'm Aoi Asahina, former Super High School Level Swimmer! I was in the same class as Naegi-kun and Togami-kun! It's nice to meet you!"

Souda nudged Owari.

"Hey, is that one of your younger siblings?"

"What?! No, she has a different surname!"

"Hey, you two could have been separated at birth!"

Koizumi scowled disapprovingly at the two. "Hey, the both of you, keep it down."

Asahina looked over the group before her eyes finally settled on the Warriors of Hope. She let out a relieved sigh.

"Oh, good, you guys made it here safely." The expression of relief then quickly turned into one not unlike a disappointed mother's.

"Do you have any idea how worried Komaru-chan and I were?! I understand that you came to help Naegi-kun, but you can't just leave without letting us know! Is that understood?!"

The kids quickly nodded in agreement, not even daring to make a counter argument.

"Um, speaking of Komaru…" Naegi began.

Asahina turned to her friend. "Oh, don't worry about her. She's just helping Fukawa-chan and Hagakure-kun bring our stuff in. Besides, you guys just needed extra muscle, right?"

Togami pushed his glasses up his nose. "Yes, I suppose your physical ability will be more than enough for this task."

"Aw, thanks Togami-kun!"

 _Was that supposed to be a compliment?_ Hajime thought, but wisely chose to keep that thought to himself.

"I CAN'T HOLD IT IN ANYMOOOOOREEEEEE!"

Without missing a beat, Asahina kicked the door down. Everyone quickly filed in.

Nidai was a sight to behold.

His eyebrows seemed to be emitting more lighting as usual. The entire coffin-like case trembled as he violently fought against his bonds, which were somehow still intact despite the amount of strength the former manager was clearly exerting. His entire expression, however, was alien. It was filled with pure rage. Upon noticing the new arrivals, Nidai began yelling a tirade of insults at his former friends.

Hajime stared dumbfounded. Out of all his friends, seeing Nidai like this unsettled him the most. The sounds of clacking heels and wagon wheels snapped the brunet back to attention.

Asahina squared her shoulders. "Right. Let's begin."

"Wait!"

Owari stepped forward, fists clenched. "Let me help. I've been eating a lot more, so my weight's almost back to what it used to be. I'm sure I can lend a hand."

"Allow me to offer my services as well." Pekoyama offered.

Hajime followed suit. "I'll help too". He still had Izuru's talents, so it wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say that he was the strongest person in the room.

Asahina nodded. "Thanks. Any help would be appreciated."

The large television screen crackled to life as Nanami's face appeared. Hajime tried to retain a neutral expression, but seeing her still brought back painful memories.

"I'll give a signal for the best opportunity to release Nidai-kun."

"Thanks Nanami-chan!" Asahina replied.

Upon noticing the approaching quartet, Nidai directed a flurry of obscenities at them. This went ignored, however, as the group pressed forward. Asahina took of her jacket off and pulled up the sleeves of her shirt. She turned to her former upperclassmen.

"Owari-chan, you take his right, Pekoyama-chan, you take his left. Hinata-kun, could you help me hold down Nidai-kun once the girls let him loose?"

Hajime nodded without hesitation.

"Ready?" Nanami-san asked. The Nidai Suppression Team nodded. Nanami stared at Nidai's body, observing him carefully. "In 3, 2, 1…Now!"

Even with his enhanced strength, Hajime still found it difficult to rein his friend in. Maybe all those insults he was hurling his way was wearing him down mentally, or maybe the emotional distress he'd had to overcome was affecting his physical abilities, either way, even with Asahina's help, this task proved to be much more difficult than anticipated. Owari and Pekoyama were quick to join in and offer their support as they all made their way clumsily to the nearest restroom, with Naegi kindly offering to guide them.

Once in front of the restroom, Naegi opened the door and ushered them inside.

"Wait." Asahina said, finally realizing exactly what kind of situation they were in. "…Is it alright for us girls to be here when Nidai-kun is going to…you know?" Even Pekoyama seemed embarrassed at the thought of having to witness her classmate defecate.

"It's alright, I can watch him. You guys go ahead." Hajime offered.

"Are you sure?" Asahina asked. "I know you're super strong, but…"

Asahina looked up. Nidai continued to growl and hurl hurtful obscenities at them. It was difficult to watch and listen to. But Haijme had to do this. He was the only one that could.

"I'll be fine. If anything happens, I'll let you know."

Hajime wore an expression filled with unwavering resolve. Relieved, his companions smiled back at him. No words were needed.

Then Nidai farted.

Owari made a face. "Okay, I'm out."

"As am I."

"G-good luck, Hinata-kun!"

And just like that, they were gone. Hajime turned to Nidai and proceeded to carefully remove his bonds.

"I HAVE TO SHIIII—"

"Yeah, I get it! Just hold still, I'm trying to help here!"

Finally released, Nidai went straight for the toilet, wasting no time and….Hajime immediately turned around to offer his friend some privacy.

* * *

The first thing Komaru did upon catching up to Makoto's group was to give her older brother a big hug. After that, she proceeded to do the same to the Warriors of Hope before delving into a long lecture on why leaving without notifying them was dangerous, reckless, and very, very bad. The kids seemed to take the younger Naegi's lecture to heart and all solemnly bowed their heads in apology. Once that was done with, the rest of the class distracted themselves from the stench that began to seep out of the restroom their newly awakened friend occupied by getting to know the new arrivals.

Owari and Ashina became instant friends, bonding over their love of food and inability to sit still. Touko stuck close to Togami, but eventually got around to answering Koizumi and Sainoji's eager questions regarding the books she'd written. Hagakure ended up spending more time with the kids, who had somehow turned him into a human playground. Makoto entertained the rest, natural mother hen that he was. Komaru watched on happily, glad to finally find some respite in the midst of all the stress and worrying she'd undergone a mere few months prior.

She felt someone sidle up next to her, and being the naturally friendly person that she is, Komaru turned to happily greet them…Until she saw who it was.

Nagito Komaeda. The second biggest source of her stress during her time in Towa City.

But then again, if he was allowed to walk about freely like this, that must mean he may have made some progress, right? That's why the Warriors of Hope had initially snuck to the island after all. But still…Komaru wasn't the type to hold grudges, but just looking at Komaeda's face brought back a series of bad memories.

Realizing that Komaru wouldn't be the one to start the conversation, Nagito offered an awkward smile paired with an equally awkward greeting.

"Um, hello."

"…Hi."

"Ah, about what happened in Towa City. I'm really sorry about all the trouble I caused."

Komaeda broke eye contact immediately after, face full of shame as he turned to look at the floor. Okay, looks like the kids really _had_ made progress after all.

"It's alright. I know you weren't exactly in your right mind when that happened."

Komaeda nodded, but kept his eyes on the floor.

"Oh, that's right!" Komaru dug into the satchel she'd brought with her and took out an old journal. Komaeda's eyes widened in surprise upon laying eyes on it.

"Somebody named Yukizome gave this to me before we left. She asked me to give it to you."

Komaeda carefully took the journal from Komaru's hands.

"This is…The save log."

"Save log?"

"From that day….When Nanami-san died."

"Nanami? Ah, right. You're class rep. Onii-chan told me about it. Sorry, do you want some privacy while you look through it?"

"Ah, no. I…I think Hinata-kun should read it first."

"Oh, okay then. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. More importantly, did Yukizome-sensei mention anything else?"

"Hm? Ah, now that you mention it, she _did_ say something about having 'pickles ready in the pantry', but I'm still not quite sure what she meant by that. Honestly, I think she was just messing with me."

A new voice joined their conversation.

"On the contrary, it would seem that Yukizome-san has entrusted you with valuable information."

"Kirigiri-san! …Wait, valuable? What do you mean?"

"It's about Monaca Towa."

* * *

Nekomaru zipped up his pants, feeling a sense of accomplishment in finally getting all that…stuff out. He turned around to see a familiar face.

But his head hurt.

He knew this person. There was no doubt about it.

 _But his head hurt._

That person turned around and opened his mouth to speak.

"Oh? You're finally done?"

He knew him.

 _But his head hurt._

The boy began to gather something at his feet. It looked like…Those were…

"Hm…Well, you're pretty calm now, so maybe I won't have to…"

 _His head hurt._

 _His head hurt._

 _His head hurt._

 _His head hurt._

He screamed.

Nekomaru wasn't blind to the changes he'd started to notice among his classmates. It was subtle at first, but as time marched forward, the changes became more noticeable. Kuzuryuu ordering Pekoyama around like a tool. Tsumiki cackling quietly to herself at random intervals. Mioda's increasingly morbid songs. Koizumi's penchant for taking photos of violent acts and rotting corpses. Owari entered the class, and though it was always futile, Nekomaru still found himself trying to convince the gymnast to eat more.

"Hm? Calm down, I just started dieting, is all. Aren't you all always harping about how I eat too much, anyway?"

"Owari, there's a difference between dieting and _starving_ yourself. I've noticed you've been skipping your meals lately, too."

"I agree."

Nanami joined in the conversation. Other than Nakomaru, the gamer was the only student to not have succumbed to whatever madness had overtaken the rest of their classmates.

"Ugh, not you too. Look, I'll eat a french fry or something later, so will you get off my back?"

"Just one french fry?" Nekomaru asked, hoping that the brunette was just joking

"Ugh, fine, two! There, happy?!" The gymnast trudged to her seat, effectively ending the conversation.

"I don't like this." Nanami muttered quietly. Nekomaru nodded in agreement.

Owari had disappeared the moment their class was dismissed for lunch. Not too long ago, Nekomaru would have brushed off that kind of behavior. It usually meant that Owari had run off to buy heaps of bread from the cafeteria or try to pawn off food from some of their more generous classmates. These days, he was sure she was just running off to hide somewhere, starving herself until classes resumed. He still didn't understand why she was doing this to herself, but he'd resolve to get to the bottom of it today.

With his size, tailing Owari proved to be much more difficult, especially given that he wasn't a particularly quiet person by nature. Thankfully, Owari wasn't exactly the brightest student, so she never seemed to catch on to his movements.

Owari eventually settled on a bench in the courtyard. Nekomaru did his best to conceal himself behind a nearby pillar as he observed Owari's movements. She sat down and grumbled silently to herself until another student approached her. Upon recognizing the student, Owari's eyes lit up.

"Yo, Enoshima!'

The girl smiled and greeted her back. "Hey there! Woah! Did you lose some weight?"

"Yup, sure did! Not being able to eat has been absolutely terrible!"

 _Then why is she doing this to herself?_

"Really? And how does that make you feel?"

Something in Owari's eyes changed. Something sinister.

"Absolutely _despairful._ "

The other girl giggled. "I figured as much. Well, you keep doing whatever makes you happy! And remember—"

"If I don't feel bad, I can feel worse!"

"That's right! Now then, will the not so subtle stalker please introduce himself?"

"Stalker?"

Nekomaru was fearless. Positive, optimistic, _strong_. Yet in the face of this single high school girl, for some reason, he could almost feel his knees buckle. His mind screamed at him to run. Run as far away from her as possible. But his legs weren't working. They wouldn't _move_.

In a flash, Enoshima was next to him.

"Hey, it's rude to ignore others."

"Old man?! Were you following me?!"

Nekomaru squared his shoulders. He was stronger than this. There was no way he was going to be intimidated by a pigtailed high school girl.

"Yeah, because I'm worried about you. Owari, you skipped lunch again didn't you?"

Owari's face turned red as she growled. "I already told you, I'm just dieting!"

"No, you're not! You're starving yourself! At this rate, Owari, _you're going to die!_ "

"Yeah, so?"

"So? What do you mean, so?!"

"So I die. Big deal." Her eyes changed again. Swirling.

"Man, can you imagine all the despair I'd feel once I realize I'm about to kick the bucket?"

Nekomaru swiftly turned to Enoshima and gripped her shoulders. Gentleman that he is, Nekomaru would never treat a woman so carelessly…but Enoshima was no ordinary woman. He looked down on her as he gripped her shoulders even tighter.

"What did you do to her? And not just her, the rest of my classmates too."

"Geez, will you calm yourself, sparky? I didn't _do_ anything. In my infinite kindness, I just offered some advice for your friend over there. I may not look it, but I'm a very good listener."

"So your advice was starvation?!"

"Psssh, of course not! See, food's getting hard to come by for her family, even with the school helping her out 'coz of her talents and stuff, so I suggested she just eat less so that her family could have more to eat. Not my fault she took my advice too far."

Nekomaru slackened his grip a bit. That _did_ sound like the sort of mistake Owari would make.

But then his grip tightened again.

"So, did you give 'advice' to the rest of my classmates, too?"

Enoshima's expression faltered. "Oh, right, I forgot about that."

Nekomaru felt something hard grip his hands and before he knew it, he was flipped upside down. Overcome with shock and panic, the manager scanned his surroundings for an accomplice before Enoshima's face came into view, looming above him.

"Surprised? I know, I'm a lot stronger than I look. You, on the other hand, are a lot _weaker_ than I expected."

Nekomaru quickly picked himself back up, making sure to keep his guard up as he formulated a response.

"What do you want with us?"

"Will you lighten up? It's not like I'm planning to kill you guys. I just want to spread a little despair, is all."

"Despair?"

"That's right! See your friend over their?" They both turned to look at Owari, who was staring blankly into space wearing a euphoric grin.

"Despair did that to her. And look at how happy she is now!"

"You call that _happy?!"_

"Well, yeah. Do sad people smile? Anyway, I don't wanna leave you or your little class rep out, so how about—"

"YOU LEAVE NANAMI OUT OF THIS!"

"Ooh! Looks like I touched a button there! But you know, I already knew you'd be one of the harder nuts to crack, that's why I saved you for last. Well, second to last. 'Coz I knew my normal methods wouldn't work on you. Yo, Sis! Bring out the big guy's present!"

"Yes, coming Junko-chan!"

Nekomaru turned to the direction of the new voice. A dark haired girl leaped down from one of the surrounding trees, carrying a large gift bag. She dutifully handed the bag to her sister. Enoshima checked the bag's contents before handing it to Nekomaru with a satisfied smile.

"I think you're really going to like it!"

Nekomaru carefully took the bag. His mind screamed at him not to look, but curiosity got the better of him and when he opened it he found—

An arm.

Daisuke's arm.

 _How?_

"It wasn't easy, digging that thing up, so you'd better thank me! Oh, poor Daisuke~ Dead at a young age, before he could see his friend become the muscle bound, inspirational coach that he is today! Too bad you couldn't be there for him when he was still alive, huh?"

"B-but, I was sick back then…I couldn't have…I wasn't able to…"

"You failed him, is what you did. You may think that you carried on his wishes by becoming the Super High School Manager, but at the end of the day, it looks to me like you stole his dream."

Nekomaru shook his head. He was stronger than this! It hurt, to be told such things, to remember the death of a good friend. But regretting it now would only serve to dishonor Daisuke. He wouldn't want to see Nekomaru like this!

"…So this is how you got to them. But you're wrong, I know better than anyone that—"

"Yup, I knew you'd be a difficult one. Keep looking in that bag."

Nekomaru seethed. "No! I'm not going to play your games, Enoshima! I—'

"Sis!"

She'd blended into the background so well, Nekomaru had completely forgotten about Enoshima's accomplice! The girl was fast, arriving next to Nekomaru in the blink of an eye. Had this been a different situation, the manager would have admired her talent and maybe even offer to help train her to her full potential. But as it was, all he felt was fear and dread. The girl grabbed the bag and flipped it upside down revealing…

More disembodied body parts. Finger, toes, hands, feet, eye balls, ears…And being the ever attentive manager that he was, Nekomaru recognized the owners of each one.

"What…What did you do to them? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY TEAM?!"

Enoshima proceeded to say more, but at that point, all Nekomaru heard was

 _Weak_

 _Your fault_

 _Weak_

 _Guilt_

 _Weak_

 _Failure_

 _Weak_

 _Weak_

 _Weak_

 _ **Weak**_

Nekomaru woke up to the sounds of very loud munching and…were those crumbs on his cheeks? He opened his eyes and quickly closed them again. Ugh, his head really hurt. He opened his eyes again and was met with a familiar face.

"Old man, you're finally awake again!" More crumbs sputtered out of Owari's mouth, but the gymnast didn't seem to care as she continued to talk animatedly whilst chewing on a piece of bread.

Owari was eating. Owari had gained weight. _Owari was back to normal._

"Owari-san, you should give Nidai-san some space." Another familiar voice. Nidai looked up to find Nanami staring at them from a large screen. His eyes widened in surprise until he realized that this wasn't the _real_ one. He felt like he was still missing some important pieces from his memories until Owari's words took him back to the present.

"Hey, Naegi! Can we take these bonds off the old man now?"

Nekomaru turned to find a short boy approach them. He looked him over and smiled, nodding his head.

"Yes, I think we should be fine. Ah, but before you do that—"

The boy turned to him, "How are you feeling? Does your head hurt?"

Nekomaru thought about it. He recalled feeling pain earlier, but it seemed to have subsided, at least for now. He turned to the other boy and shook his head.

"Alright then. Owari-san, would you like to do the honors?"

Owari nodded excitedly as she removed the bonds that were confining Nekomaru. Once removed, he slowly sat up and moved his arms about carefully. It seemed like he'd been immobile for quite some time, he'd have to double his usual truing regiment to make up for it. He turned back to thank Owari and Naegi when the doors suddenly slammed open. Seeing all their faces again, his mind finally pieced together the fragments of his memories. His friends…they'd all succumbed to despair. But they were all here now, back to their old selves just like Owari. Nekomaru could feel tears form at the corners of his eyes as his classmates all swarmed him with smiles and warm greetings.

"Hey now, give him some room."

It was Hinata. His eyes were bright red, but everything about him seemed the same. He looked at him and smiled. "Good to see you back to your old self again."

Nekomaru smiled back. "Yeah, it's good to be back. And I'm going to do my best to make sure it stays that way."

* * *

"Right. Don't worry, everything's under control from our end. Yes, I'll be sure to update yo— Huh? Kirigiri-san, are you sure. Well, alright. I'll trust your judgement."

Chisa Yukizome turned back to the door before her, pocketing her cellphone.

"Was that brat's girl checking in on you again?"

"Sakakura-kun. Yes, but you can't blame her for being so cautious."

The boxer scoffed but offered no further complaints. He faced forward.

"So, any plans about the kid?"

"Yes. It seems now would be a good time to set that plan in motion."

They opened the doors. Inside a bare room, lying on a bed staring dejectedly at the ceiling with her signature pout, was Monaca Towa. Upon noticing her visitors, she sat up, forcing a sickly sweet smile on her face.

"I know there's no point asking again, but am I still grounded?"

* * *

 **Omake:**

Koizumi ran up to Touko, smiling brightly as she handed back her manuscript for her next novel.

"Thanks for letting me read it! It was really good!"

"Hmph, of course it was! A-and it's not like I really care about your opinion or anything, b-but what did you think? About the story?"

"Hm, well, I thought it was really cute how you based all of the heroine's friends off of your real friends!"

"Wh-what?! What gave you that idea?!"

"Huh? Well, isn't the heroine's best friend based off of Komaru-chan? And her kind older brother is obviously based on Naegi-kun, the mysterious investigator is based on Kyouko-chan, the energetic donut shop owner is based on Aoi-chan, and of course, the heroine's attractive love interest with the sweet and sour personality is based on Togami-kun."

Touko was at a loss as she attempted to find a counter argument. Hagakure, who had happened to be passing by at that moment, stopped in his tracks to join the conversation.

"Hey, Fukawa-chi! You didn't include me!"

"Ah, right! I almost forgot! That talking palm tree was based on Hagakure-kun, right?"

Touko fidgeted a bit as she avoided Hagakure's gaze and tried to formulate a response.

"Fukawa-chi, is this true?"

"S-so what if it is?"

"Fukawa-chi…That's so nice of you to include me in your book too! Hey, can I borrow the manuscript next?"

* * *

A/N: I'm doing my best


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Recovery**

Um…I'm not really sure how save logs actually work in real life. In a lot of games, save logs are treated as journals…which makes sense, when you really think about it…I think. So, I guess I can just write down whatever I want?

I wanted to apologize to my classmates for taking so long to take action. I noticed that something was different, but to be perfectly honest, I was too scared to acknowledge it for a while. I kept thinking that you all would revert back to normal at some point…But you never did.

When I finally decided to do something about it, I now realize that it may have been too late. That's probably why I've always been so bad at dating sims. I never notice which flags I've triggered in time, and when I do, I'm usually already locked to the bad end.

But I don't want this to be the band end. I wish I could just reset everything so that I could have done something to help you all before Enoshima got to you. But unfortunately, life doesn't have a reset button. There are no walkthroughs or cheat codes that can help guide me through life…And I was fine with that when I met you all…When I became friends with you all…That's why, no matter what, I won't settle for anything less than the golden ending.

Hinata-kun, if I don't make it out of this alive, please take care of everyone for me. You're smart and you're really good at talking to people and understanding them. They can be a little hard to deal with some times, but my classmates…My friends…They're all good people deep down. And I just know that you'll get along with all of them. I'm sorry if I'm putting too much pressure on you. And I'm so sorry I wasn't able to do anything for you when you were hurting so badly you became…you chose to become someone else. But know that the Hinata-kun that I've always cared about…That I've always loved…Has always been Hajime Hinata. No one else. Please don't ever forget that.

Hajime closed the journal, blinking back hot tears as he clutched it close to his chest, bringing his knees to up and curling up into a ball on his bed.

He felt a hand gently pat his back. He turned to look up.

"Naegi."

Naegi smiled at him and offered a handkerchief. "Are you alright?"

Hajime nodded as he used the cloth to wipe the tears from his eyes. He looked past the younger boy and noticed belatedly that in his haste to read Nanami's last words, he'd forgotten to close his door. Naegi followed his gaze and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. I heard crying, and I just— Should I leave? You must want some privacy and—"

Hajime shook his head. "No, no, it's fine." He smiled, closing the journal and laying his hand atop it. "Everything is fine now." Hajime set the book aside and got up, leaving his room with Naegi following close at his heels. Outside, he would be greeted by his friends, and they would chat and joke around well into the night, because everything is fine now.

* * *

Sakakura glared at the young girl sitting in front of him. Chisa forced a smile on her face Already anticipating another yelling match between her former classmate and the youngest Towa, she quickly took charge of the conversation.

"Actually, Monaca-chan, I'm glad you brought that up."

Monaca cocked her head to the side in confusion. "You mean about un-grounding me?"

Sakakura grunted, mouth already beginning to form some choice phrases, but then Chisa gave him the look, and the boxer quickly backed down. Chisa focused her attention back on Monaca, smiling sweetly.

"Yes, we've got the go-ahead to start on your rehabilitation."

Monaca's face quickly fell. "Whaaaaat?! Nooooo. Did my stupid former lackeys put you up to this?! You know I can't stand talking to that stupid pink rabbit! She's so sickeningly sweet and full of hope! Junko-oneechan would roll in her grave if she found out that I was even in the same room as a creature like that."

At the mention of the embodiment of Despair's name, Chisa quickly placed her hand on Sakakura's arm, calming him down before he could do anything that would inflict any physical harm to their young prisoner. She turned back to address Monaca.

"Monaca-chan, I'm sorry, but you don't get a say in the matter. We will start the process first thing tomorrow."

Monaca began to tear up as she balled her tiny fists. "No, I don't wanna! I'd rather die! I'd rather be executed just like Junko-oneechan!"

Sakakura gave Chisa as pleading a look as the limits of his pride would allow. Chisa shook her head, causing the boxer to frown and let out a frustrated huff. Honestly, she was surrounded by such temperamental children.

"Monaca-chan, the decision is final. We will start the process first thing tomorrow."

Monaca pouted but didn't respond. Chisa took that as her cue to leave, pulling Sakakura along with her. Once she shut the door, she felt her shoulders sag and let out a tired sigh. Sakakura laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?'

Chisa smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end…And then, I'll tell Kyousuke everything."

Sakakura looked down at her unsurely. "Are you sure about that? I know he has a soft spot for you, but finding out that you were harboring a former member of Despair in secret? Not only that, but the fact that you've been secretly collaborating with that brat and his friends this whole time…He might not react so well."

Chisa's expression became pained. "Yes, I know. But I don't want to keep anymore secrets from him. If this causes him to hate me, then so be it. I'll accept in punishment he gives me."

"Well then, he's going to have to punish me too."

Chisa had been doing this operation in secret ever since she reunited with Komaeda. Since then, the only other people aware of her actions, other than Naegi's group, were Sakakura and Gekkogahara. Gekkogahara had been aware of Naegi's plans since the beginning, having been enlisted to help by the brunet himself. Sakakura, on the other hand, found out about Chisa's plans a few months later. Noticing that she had been acting strange, Kyousuke ordered Sakakura to tail Chisa for a few days. Chisa, too preoccupied with thoughts on how best to handle Monaca, going so far as to draw up a few lesson plans, was completely unaware of her newfound shadow. It only took a day before she inadvertently led her former classmate to the room Monaca was being kept in. To her surprise, however, Sakakura was more than willing to keep her actions a secret and even offer his support, stating that he wanted to trust her judgement.

Which was why Chisa could not allow Sakakura to get himself into trouble on her account. This was all on her. She frowned and put her foot down, the way she used to when lecturing her students. "No, Sakakura-kun, you don't have to take the fall with me! I dragged you into this!"

The boxer let out a laugh. "No you didn't! I caught you sneaking around and stuck my nose into your business of my own volition. And it was my own decision to keep what you've…What we've been doing from Munakata. So it's only fair that I get punished along with you."

The former teacher let out a relieved smile as she dove in for a hug. "Sakakura-kun! You're such a good friend!"

"I get it already, so get off! Seriously, your getting snot on my shirt!"

* * *

Nekomaru eagerly gulped down each helping of food presented before him. Next to him, Owari ate twice as much as him, much to his relief. He turned back to Naegi, who had been happily filling him in on what he had missed. He was glad to know that all of his classmates seemed to be in good spirits now, despite all they had gone through, both in the game and real life. He also took all the changes in stride. He didn't recognize Sainoji at first, initially mistaking her for the dancer's relative. It took wasn't until the blonde displayed her talent that he took her word for it, finally congraulating her on her growth spurt, and subsequently offering encouragement to Kuzuryuu ("You see, Kuzryuu, it's never too late! I'm sure your time will come soon, too?!

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kuzuryuu exclaimed as face grew hot in a combination of anger and embarrassment).

When Nekomaru had met Shinji, he'd assumed that he was Hinata's long lost brother, until the other briefly left the room, and came back looking exactly like Togami (the skinny one, not the fat one from the game). He then left the room, and reentered looking exactly like Souda, before leaving again and reentering as Shinji. Nekomaru proceeded to congratulating the boy on losing enough weight to accurately impersonate his friends, then proceeded to ask when they would be able to see his real face. That question seemed to stump him, and sensing the tension, Nekomaru quickly added that Shinji didn't have to do it now, but assured him that they would always welcome him no matter what he looked like. Shinji smiled gratefully back and offered a soft thanks in return.

Finally, there was Hanamura. He was combination of both previous cases, having gotten both taller and skinnier. What's more, he hadn't uttered a single dirty joke or comment since Nekomaru had woken up again. Come dinner time, Hanamura didn't have to prove that he was the same person despite his change in appearance. As for his sudden change in personality, well, Nekomaru was never too fond of his dirty jokes (and most of them flew over his head, anyway), so he had no objections to the sudden change. He focused back on his food before a thought suddenly struck him. He turned to Naegi and asked,

"So, is Tanaka the only one left?"

Naegi paused mid-bite before nodding his head in confirmation. Sonia looked at her lap, where Tanaka's hamsters were happily nibbling away at their dinner. She smiled in anticipation.

"Yes…Soon, we will all be together again."

Souda fidgeted next to her, quickly turning to address Nekomaru.

"So hey, you're not mad about Tanaka killing you or anything, are you?"

"Dude." Hinata deadpanned.

Nekomaru let out a hearty laugh. "Of course not! Tanaka faced off against me like a real man! Besides, he…His intentions were good."

Souda turned back to his food and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The atmosphere became heavy afterward, with the conversation coming to a halt. Hiyoko grumbled. "Ugh, way to kill the mood, Souda-onii."

This time, it was the younger Naegi who made an effort to mend the situation.

"You know, I really need to pay my complements to the chef! This is really good! I never thought I'd taste anything better than Mom's cooking!"

"Oh, yeah totally!" Ashina agreed as she reached for her fourth helping. The girl could really shovel food down, and Nekomaru could respect that. He could see why the swimmer managed to become such fast friends with Owari.

Hanamura sat straighter, smiling triumphantly.

"Well, what else would you expect from the Super High School Level Chef? Please, eat up!"

Hmm? That was strange, normally Hanamura would take the opportunity to make a pass at the girls. Komaru, unaware of the chef's usual behavior, flashed him a big grin in gratitude.

"Thanks! By the way, what are these ball-like things called?"

"Those are Sicilian Rice Balls!"

And no innuendo-laced joke at the mention of the word "ball".

"Mmmm, it's so good!"

"Glad to hear it Aun- er, Komaru-san."

"Were you about to call me Aun-"

"A-ah, Hanamura-kun, could you teach me how to eat this dish? I'm still not really used to eating foreign dishes." Naegi asked, interrupting his sister's question.

"Of course!" Hanamura replied enthusiastically.

Ah. This must be the "Mom Effect" the others were talking about earlier. Nekomaru made a mental note to thank Naegi for getting rid of the worse parts of Hanamura's personality later.

* * *

Hajime tossed and turned on his bed, trying his best to fall asleep. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he threw his covers off and got out of bed.

 _I'll just go take a walk. Maybe I just need to clear my head._

The halls were empty and silent, allowing Hajime to stew into his thoughts as he walked. Without realizing it, his feet eventually led him to the cafeteria. Deciding that a midnight snack wouldn't hurt, the former reserve course student decided to walk in. He paused before going in further as a realization hit him. He turned his gaze upwards, towards one of the many large screens that Nanami and her brother often appeared in. He gulped.

"U-um…Nanami?"

The screen immediately came to life. Nanami appeared, wearing a bright smile.

"Hinata-kun! I feel like it's been a long time since the two of us chatted."

"Y-yeah…" Hajime felt a bit guilty, he hadn't intended to ignore her or anything.

"But…huh? It's really late…Did you have trouble sleeping?"

Hajime nodded. "There have been a lot of things on my mind lately…And I got to thinking. It's about time I sorted these…feelings out. Nanami…If it's alright with you, will you hear me out?"

Nanami nodded solemnly. "Of course."

Hajime took a seat at one of the tables. He looked up at Nanami's expectant face, wondering how he should even start.

"I…I remembered some things. From my past. About us. Or rather, about my relationship with the other Nanami."

"Ah…you mean the real one?"

Hajime nodded. "I…I loved her, but by the time I realized it, it was too late. And then…" He looked up at Nanami, smiling. "I met you. And I found myself falling in love with Chiaki Nanami all over again. But then I found out that we were all in a game…That you were an AI. When I finally woke up, I could still see you. But I could never feel you. Now, there's always a screen between us."

Nanami's shoulders sagged, eyes becoming downcast. "I'm sorry, Hinata-kun."

"No, don't be!" Hajime quickly replied. It hadn't been his intention to make the AI feel bad. He still had lingering feelings for her, after all. But he found himself wondering, was he in fact simply chasing after Nanami's shadow? The AI Nanami…She wasn't someone he could spend his life with. Why had he deluded himself for so long into thinking so? He clenched his eyes shut.

"I should be the one to apologize. For being weak. For not being able to protect you. Both in the game and in real life." Hajime hung his head down, not wanting Nanami to see him in such a sorry state. Why was he so pathetic?

"Hin— No, Hajime-kun, please lift up your head."

Hajime hastily wiped the tears from his eyes and did as he was told.

"Hajime-kun, you didn't fail anyone. Both you and the other me, you're both humans. You both made your own decisions, chose your own paths. I'm sure mistakes were made along the way, but that's part of being human, there's nothing wrong with that. You didn't fail to protect me. Even though I'm an AI, you and all of our friends showed me what being 'human' is truly like, and that's why I chose my own path. I chose to protect you all, because that's what I wanted. The other me…I'm sure she would choose that same path over and over again and not regret it once. So please, Hajime-kun, stop blaming yourself like this."

Hajime looked up at Nanami's smiling face. "Na— Chiaki…Thank you."

Chiaki shook her head. "I should be thanking you. For teaching me how to be 'human'".

Hajime finally felt a smile tug at his lips. He chatted more with the AI, and would later fall asleep the moment his head landed on his pillow.

* * *

The weeks that followed were peaceful, or rather, as peaceful as it could get with a group as rowdy as this. Souda had decided to take Jotaro on as his protege upon noticing his potential as a mechanic. Kotoko, Sainoji, and Masaru had formed a little prank club of sorts, their favorite target being Togami. Komaru became fast friends with pretty much everyone, a trait that seemed to run in her family. Hanamura had taken to teaching cooking lessons every Wednesdays, with Owari offering to taste test each dish…which didn't help much, since she proclaimed that every food was delicious, so Shinji was eventually recruited to take over. Komaeda left his room more often, and while he still maintained a distance from his peers, his self-depreciating comments were now a thing of the past.

On slower days, on the beach not far from the facility the former Hope's Peak students now called home, Naegi would take the time to help Pekoyama get closer to Tanaka's hamsters, offering her advice and acting as a mediator of sorts. Sometimes, Fuyuhiko would come along to offer encouragement. Progress was slow, but the hamsters would now allow the former hit man to maintain a 5 inch distance from them without earning any tiny squeaks of protest. Sonia was always present during these sessions, offering treats to the hamsters any time they allowed Pekoyama to come closer than usual. It was during one of these sessions when a loud, booming voice echoed around the area.

The sky had suddenly turned darker and a burst of lightning appeared in the distance. Pekoyama quickly got into a fighting stance and leapt forward. Heavy footfalls could be heard coming closer, with ominous music accompanying the mysterious figure. Nobody knew exactly where the music was coming from, but it certainly made the figure appear more sinister. When the figure finally appeared from the shadows, the skies cleared once more and the sun's rays settled upon him.

Sonia was absolutely ecstatic.

"Tanaka-kun!"

* * *

 **Omake:**

Hiyoko's nose tingled as she passed by the bathroom. She immediately covered her nose with her hands once the odor became to much to bear. Unsurpisingly, it was Nidai who emerged from the restroom.

"Oh, hey there Sainoji! Toilet's open now if you want to use it!"

"No thanks, I think I'll pass, Number Two."

"Number Two?"

"Uh…Think of it as a new nickname…Yeah, that's it."

"Huh. Oh, like how I'm a manager, so I'm only second to my team, right? That's brilliant!"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Yup. That's exactly what it means."

* * *

On my notes for how each of the students would wake up, for Gundam, all I wrote down was "Make it FLASHY". So, yeah, I hope this was flashy enough. As to how he was able to manipulate the weather like that during his entrance...Well, he's Gundam, that's how.


End file.
